BIRDS OF THEX eg”
(UNITED STATES
CORNELL LAB of ORNITHOLOGY
LIBRARY
AT SAPSUCKER WOODS
Illustration of Snowy Owl by Louts Agassiz Fuertes
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
DATE DUE
Cornell University
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http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924090299748
PLT,
1. Hawk Owl. 3. Great Horned Owl.
5. Bald Eagle.
2. Screech Owl. 4 Florida Burrowine Owl.
A Popular Handbook
of the
Birds of the United States
and Canada
By Thomas Nuttall
Neu Revised and Annotated Edition
By Montague Chamberlain
With Additions, and One Hundred and Ten
Illustrations in Color
Boston
Little, Brown, and Company
1921
Copyright, 1891, 1896, 1908,
By LittTLe, BRowN, AND COMPANY.
Ov ni fs
QL.
o&/
NOF
2
Part I.— LAND BIRDS.
CONTENTS.
Pace
BLACKBIRD, Red-winged 96 | Flycatcher, Acadian .
Rusty. . 119 Crested .
Yellow-headed . 02 Least. . .
Bluebird . . . ... - 285 Olive-sided .
Bobolink . a4 . 109 Traill’s. . .
Bunting, Indigo. . . . «310 Yellow-bellied
Painted . . . . . 314
GNATCATCHER. . . -
CaracaRA, Audubon’s . . 6| Goldfinch. . 2...
Cardinal ats . 362 American. .
Catbird . . . . . . . «195 | Goshawk . . 3
Chat .... =... . .172 | Grackle, Boat- tailed, ae
Chickadee . . . ... . 146 Purple ...
Carolina . . 1so | Grosbeak, Blue. . . .
Hudsonian . . 151 Evening . .
Chuck-will’s-widow . 465 Pine .
Cowbird . ... - » 104 Rose- breasted:
Creeper, Bahama Honey . . 388 | Gyrfalcon. . 2...
Brown. 5s # « BOP
Crossbill, American . . - 378 | Hawk, Broad-winged .
White-winged - 381 Cooper’s . .
Crow. 2 se He we 8 126 Duck .. .
Fish . . + 131 Harris’ss . . .
Cuckoo, Black- billed . « 436 Marsh -
Mangrove .. . . 437 Pigeon... .
Yellow-billed » 432 Red-shouldered .
Red-tailed . .
DICKCISSEL . . ... + 208 Rough-legged .
Sharp-shinned .
EaGLe, Bald. .. . . - 19 Short-tailed .
Golden. . . . « « 5 Sparrow . é
Gray Sea . 26 | Humming Bird . .
FINCH, Purple . . . « 372 | Jay, Blue. . ... »
Flicker . . ws 438 Capada. .. .
Jay, Florida, . ...
Junco, Slate-colored . .
KINGBIRD. . . .. .
Gray ...
Kingfisher . . ..
Kinglet, Golden-crowned
Ruby-crowned .
Kite, Everglade . . .
Mississippi .
Swallow-tailed . .
White-tailed. . .
LAPLAND Longspur . .
Lark, Horned .
Meadow .
MarTIN, Purple
Maryland Yellow-throat.
Mocking Bird . .. .
NIGHTHAWK. .
Nuthatch, Beownheaied
Red-breasted .
White-breasted
ORIOLE, Baltimore .
Orchard. . .
Osprey ... 1.
Oven Bird .....
Owl, Barn .....
Barred . ae a
Burrowing . . .
Great Gray . . .
Great Horned . .
Hawk... :
Long-eared . . .
Richardson’s . .
Saw-whet. . . .
Screech . . .
Short-cared .
Snowy. . 4...
PAROQUET, Carolina. .
Pewee, Wood ... .
Phebe. . wire 65 5S
Pipit . ee eee
CONTENTS.
Pace
137
+ 339
404
- 414
. 461
283
281
RAVEN +» © «6 e + «
Redpoll . .....
Hoary ...-
Redstart - . 2. « +
Robin... - . -
SAPSUCKER . .- a8
Shrike, Lopaethead ae
Northern . :
Siskin, Pine. . ae
Skylark . 1. 2. ee
Snowflake ..
.
Pace
» 120
+ 355
- 358
. 164
. 198
- 450
- 162
+ 159
- 351
. 297
. 300
Sparrow, Acadian Sharp-talled 345
Bachman’s. .
Chipping
Field. .
Fox .
Grasshopper .
Henslow’s .
House ...
Ipswich. . .
Lark... .
Le Conte’s. .
Lincoln’s . .
Nelson’s .
Savanna. .
Seaside. ..
Sharp-tailed .
Song. ...
i Swamp...
Tree. ...
Vesper . .
White-crowned
White-throated
Swallow, Bank .
Barn... .
Cliff... .
Rough-winged .
Tree a vele'se
Swift, Chimney. . .
TANAGER, Scarlet. . .
Summer . .
Thrasher, Brown . . .
Thrush, Bicknell’s. . .
Gray-cheeked .
Hermit . .
+ 327
+ 333
» 336
- 338
+ 329
+ 330
+ 354
» 326
. 317
331
- 328
- 346
+ 325
- 36
344
322
+ 342
«73.32
+ 320
+ 315
+ 318
» 401
+ 394
- 396
+ 403
+ 399
- 463
+ 306
309
192
212
2u1
+ 205
CONTENTS.
Pace
Thrush, Louisiana Water . .
Olive-backed . . .
Water sa. es 8 4
Wilson’s. . . .
Wood. ....
Titmouse, Tufted... . .
Towhee ........
VIREO, Blue-headed . . .
Philadelphia. . . .
Red-eyed fas
Warbling . . . .
Whiteeyed . .. .
Yellow-throated
Vulture, Black. . . .
Turkey ...
WARBLER, Bachman’s . .
Bay-breasted
Black and white .
Blackburnian . .
Black-poll
214
2i1
212
207
202
142
359
176
186
. 182
- 180
178
174
. 261
+ 237
389
232
« 238
Black-throated Blue 245
Black-throated
Green . ..
Blue-winged. .
Canadian. . . .
Cape May . .
Cerulean . :
Chestnut-sided .
Connecticut .
Golden-winged .
Hooded ....
Kentucky. . ..
Kirtland’s . .
. 230
- 258
227
. 226
247
+ 235
. 253
. 260
167
246
» 265
Vv
Pace
Warbler, Magnolia se 6 5 224
Mourning ... 251
Myrtle. . 2... 217
Nashville. . . . 263
Orange-crowned . 264
Parula. . . . . 244
Pine... . 239
Prairie . . . . 242
Prothonotary . . 257
Swainson’s . . . 256
Tennessee . . . 261
Wilson’s . . . . 168
Worm-eating . . 255
Yellow . . . . 220
Yellow Palm . . 219
Yellow-throated . 228
Waxwing, Bohemian . . . 152
Wheatear
Cedar . . . . . 184
osha ae BOO:
Whip-poor-will. . . . . . 467
Woodpecker, American three-
toed . . . 456
Arctic three-toed 455
Downy. . . . 452
Hairy . . . . 451
Ivory-billed . . 441
Pileated . . . 444
Red-bellied . . 448
Red-cockaded . 454
Red-headed . . 446
Wren, Bewick’s s « « » 276
Carolina » « ». «= 1272
House .... . . 266
Long-billed Marsh . . 279
Short-billed Marsh . . 277
Winter. . . . « . 270
ILLUSTRATIONS IN PART I.
COLORED PLATES.
PLraTE I. . .
1, HAWK OWL.
2. SCREECH OWL.
3. GREAT HORNED OWL.
4. FLoRIDA BURROWING OWL.
5. BALD EAGLE.
Frontispiece
@taTE II. .
1, BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
2. MEADOWLARK.
3. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.
4
5
Page 80
. BOBOLINK. 7
. AMERICAN OSPREY.
Prate IIl.. « 2 « «
I. CHICKADEE.
2. CATBIRD.
3. CEDAR WAXWING.
4. RED-EYED VIREO.
5. ROBIN.
Page 146
PLATE IV.. Page 202
. AMERICAN REDSTART.
. BLUE Jay.
. Woop THRUSH.
. WATER THRUSH.
. Duck Hawk.
UPWHe
PLaTE V. . . Page 220
I. CERULEAN WARBLER.
2. PRAIRIE WARBLER.
PLATE V.—continued.
3. YELLOW WARBLER.
4. PARULA WARBLER.
5. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER.
6. BLACK-THROATED GREEN
WARBLER,
PuaTE VIL. . we Page 262
I. MARYLAND YELLOW THROAT.
. BLUE BIRD.
. WINTER WREN.
. NASHVILLE WARBLER.
. BLACK-THROATED BLUE
WARBLER.
. RuBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
mp WN
n
PuaTE VII. . .
I. SNOWFLAKE.
2. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.
3. BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.
4. INDIGO BUNTING.
5. SCARLET TANAGER.
. Page 298
PuaTeE VIII. .
1. SNow BIRD.
2. SONG SPARROW.
3. PH@BE.
4. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.
5. VESPER SPARROW.
6. TOWHEE.
. Page 360
viii
I.
An & WwW
N
19.
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Prate IX.. . . . . Page 382 | PLATE X.. . . . « Page 438
PINE GROSBEAK (Male). 1. RuBy-THROATED HUMMING
2. PINE GROSBEAK (Female). BIRD.
. PURPLE FINCH (Male). 2. BARN SWALLOW.
. PuRPLE Fincu (Female). 3. FLICKER.
. RosE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 4. WHIP-POOR-WILL.
. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL 5. CRESTED RED BIRD.
(Male). 6. RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.
. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
(Female).
ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT.
Page | No. Page
. TURKEY VULTURE .. 1 | 27. BOBOLINK « « « « « 109
. WHITE GYRFALCON . . 7 | 28. BLUE Jay. . 2. 2 6 © 133
. AMERICAN SPARROW 29. CANADA JAY . + » « 138
Hawk... .. . 13 | 30. TUFTED TITMOUSE .. 142
. GOLDEN EaGLE .. . 15 | 31. NORTHERN SHRIKE . . 159
. BALD EAGLE... . 19 | 32, REDSTART. . . - . . 164
. AMERICAN OSPREY . . 27 | 33. WILSON’Ss WARBLER. . 168
. AMERICAN GOSHAWK . 31 | 34. BLUE-GRAYGNATCATCHER 170
. COOPER’s HAWK . . . 34 | 35. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT 172
. MIssIssIpPI KITE . . . 37 | 36. WHITE-EYED VIREO. . 178
. AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED 37. MockiIne BirD. . . . 187
Hawk... . . . 40 | 38 BROWN THRASHER 192
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK 43 | 39. WILSON’s THRUSH . . 207
. BROAD-WINGED Hawk. 49 | 40. OVEN-BIRD ee 215
. HAWK OWL. . . . « 53 | 41. BLACK-THROATED GREEN
. SNowy OwL ... . 55 WARBLER. . « » « 230
. SCREECH OWL... . 57 | 42, PARULA WARBLER . 244
. GREAT HORNED OWL . 61 | 43. MARYLAND YELLOW-
. LonG-EARED OWL . . 66 THROAT . . . 2. . 249
» SHORT-EARED OwL . . 68 | 44. WoRM-EATING WARBLER 255
BARRED OWL .. . - 70] 45. HousE WRENN... . 266
. RICHARDSON’s OWL. - 73 | 46. CAROLINA WREN. . . 272
BaRN OwL . . . . . 75 | 47. GoLDEN-CROowNED Kinc- _
. FLORIDA BURROWING OWL 78 LET . . 6 « © «© » 283
» MEADOWLARK . . . - 79 | 48. BLUEBIRD. . . . . . 285
. BALTIMORE ORIOLE . . 83 | 49. WHEATEAR . . . . . 204
» RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD 96 | so. AMERICAN PIPIT . . . 292
. VYELLOW-HEADED BLAck- 51. HORNED LaRK. . . . 294
BIRD. »« s+ se To2 | §2. SKYLARK. . . . . . 207
BEAK
HATCH .
. SNOWFLAKE .
. LAPLAND LONGSPUR .
. SCARLET TANAGER
. LARK SPARROW
. VESPER SPARROW,
- SONG SPARROW
. TREE SPARROW
. Fox SPARROW .
. SHARP-TAILED Roane
. RosE-BREASTED
.
. PINE GROSBEAK
. AMERICAN CROSSBILL
. WHITE-BREASTED NutT-
. AMERICAN GOLDFINCH .
. GOLDFINCH
. REDPOLL .
. Hoary REDPOLL .
. CARDINAL
Gros-
ILLUSTRATIONS. ix
Page | No. Page
. + 300 | 71. BLACK AND WHITE War-
304 BLER. » « « » 389
. 306 | 72. BARN SWALLOW . . 394
317 | 73. TREE SWALLOW . . . 399
. 320 | 74. BANK SWALLOW . . 401
322 | 75. KINGBIRD. 404
332 | 76. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER 410
338 | 77. TRAILL’s FLYCATCHER . 424
344 | 78. CAROLINA PAROQUET 428
348 | 79. YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO 432
- 353 | 80. IvoRY-BILLED Woop-
355 PECKER. 441
358 | 81. PILEATED Woonrrcren 444
362 | 82. YELLOW-BELLIED Sap-
SUCKER. . 450
369 | 83. RuBY-THROATED Hum
+ 375 MING BIRD ... . 457
- 378 | 84. BELTED KINGFISHER . 461
85. CHIMNEY SWIFT . . . 463
383 | 86. NIGHTHAWK. . , «. + 470
INTRODUCTION.
Or all the classes of animals by which we are surrounded in
the ample field of Nature, there are none more remarkable in
their appearance and habits than the feathered inhabitants of
the air. They play around us like fairy spirits, elude approach
in an element which defies our pursuit, soar out of sight in the
yielding sky, journey over our heads in marshalled ranks, dart
like meteors in the sunshine of summer, or, seeking the solitary
recesses of the forest and the waters, they glide before us like
beings of fancy. They diversify the still landscape with the
most lively motion and beautiful association; they come and
go with the change of the season; and as their actions are di-
rected by an uncontrollable instinct of provident Nature, they
may be considered as concomitant with the beauty of the sur-
rounding scene. With what grateful sensations do we involun-
tarily hail the arrival of these faithful messengers of spring and
summer, after the lapse of the dreary winter, which compelled
them to forsake us for more favored climes. Their songs, now
heard from the leafy groves and shadowy forests, inspire de-
light, or recollections of the pleasing past, in every breast.
How voiatile, how playfully capricious, how musical and happy,
are these roving sylphs of Nature, to whom the air, the earth,
and the waters are alike habitable! ‘Their lives are spent in
boundless action; and Nature, with an omniscient benevo-
lence, has assisted and formed them for this wonderful display
of perpetual life and vigor, in an element almost their own.
xii INTRODUCTION..
If we draw a comparison between these inhabitants of the
air and the earth, we shall perceive that, instead of the large
head, formidable jaws armed with teeth, the capacious chest,
wide shoulders, and muscular legs of the quadrupeds, they
have bills, or pointed jaws destitute of teeth ; a long and pliant
neck, gently swelling shoulders, immovable vertebre ; the fore-
arm attenuated to a point and clothed with feathers, forming
the expansive wing, and thus fitted for a different species of
motion ; likewise the wide extended tail, to assist the general
provision for buoyancy throughout the whole anatomical frame.
For the same general purpose of lightness, exists the contrast
of slender bony legs and feet. So that, in short, we perceive
in the whole conformation of this interesting tribe, a structure
wisely and curiously adapted for their destined motion through
the air. Lightness and buoyancy appear in every part of the
structure of birds: to this end nothing contributes more than
the soft and delicate plumage with which they are so warmly
clad; and though the wings (or great organs of aérial motion
by which they swim, as it were, in the atmosphere) are formed
of such light materials, yet the force with which they strike the
air is so great as to impel their bodies with a rapidity unknown
to the swiftest quadruped. The same grand intention of form-
ing a class of animals to move in the ambient desert they
occupy above the earth, is likewise visible in their internal
structure. Their bones are light and thin, and all the muscles
diminutive but those appropriated for moving the wings. The
lungs are placed near to the back-bone and ribs; and the air
is not, as in other animals, merely confined to the pulmonary
organs, but passes through, and is then conveyed into a num-
ber of membranous cells on either side the external region of
the heart, communicating with others situated beneath the
chest. In some birds these cells are continued down the
wings, extending even to the pinions, bones of the thighs, and
other parts of the body, which can be distended with air at
the pleasure or necessity of the animal, This diffusion of air
is not only intended to assist in lightening and elevating the
body, but also appears necessary to prevent the stoppage or
INTRODUCTION. xiii
interruption of respiration, which would otherwise follow the
rapidity of their motion through the resisting atmosphere ; and
thus the Ostrich, though deprived of the power of flight, runs
almost with the swiftness of the wind, and requires, as he
possesses, the usual resources of air conferred on other birds.
Were it possible for man to move with the rapidity of a Swal-
low, the resistance of the air, without some such peculiar pro-
vision as in birds, would quickly bring on suffocation. The
superior vital heat of this class of beings is likewise probably
due to this greater aération of the vital fluid.
Birds, as well as quadrupeds, may be generally distinguished
into two great classes from the food on which they are destined
to subsist ; and may, consequently, be termed carnivorous and
granivorous. Some also hold a middle nature, or partake of
both. The granivorous and herbivorous birds are provided
with larger and longer intestines than those of the carnivorous
kinds. Their food, ‘consisting chiefly of grain of various sorts,
is conveyed whole into the craw or first stomach, where it is
softened and acted upon by a peculiar glandular secretion
thrown out upon its surface; it is then again conveyed into a
second preparatory digestive organ; and finally transmitted
into the true stomach, or gizzard, formed of two strong muscles
connected externally with a tendinous substance, and lined in-
ternally with a thick membrane of great power and strength ;
and in this place the unmasticated food is at length completely
triturated, and prepared for the operation of the gastric juice.
The extraordinary powers of the gizzard in comminuting food,
to prepare it for digestion, almost exceeds the bounds of cred-
ibility. Turkeys and common fowls have been made to swal-
low sharp angular fragments of glass, metallic tubes, and balls
armed with needles, and even lancets, which were found
broken and compressed, without producing any apparent pain
or wounds in the stomach. The gravel pebbles swallowed by
this class of birds with so much avidity, thus appear useful in
bruising and comminuting the grain they feed on, and prepar-
ing it for the solvent action of the digestive organs.
Those birds which live chiefly on grain and vegetable sub-
XIV INTRODUCTION.
stances partake in a degree of the nature and disposition of
herbivorous quadrupeds. In both, the food and the provision
for its digestion are very similar. Alike distinguished for
sedentary habits and gentleness of manners, their lives are
harmlessly and usefully passed in collecting seeds and fruits,
and ridding the earth of noxious and destructive insects; they
live wholly on the defensive with all the feathered race, and
are content to rear and defend their offspring from the attacks
of their enemies. It is from this tractable and gentle race, as
well as from the amphibious or aquatic tribes, that man has
long succeeded in obtaining useful and domestic species,
which, from their prolificacy and hardihood, afford a vast
supply of wholesome and nutritious food. Of these, the Hen,
originally from India; the Goose, Duck, and Pigeon of
Europe; the Turkey of America; and the Pintado, or Guinea-
hen of Africa, are the principal: to which may also be ad-
ded, as less useful, or more recently naturalized, the Peacock
of India, the Pheasant of the same country, the Chinese
and Canada Goose, the Muscovy Duck, and the European
Swan.
Carnivorous birds by many striking traits evince the destiny
for which they have been created; they are provided with
wings of great length, supported by powerful muscles, which
enable them to fly with energy and soar with ease at the
loftiest elevations. They are armed with strong hooked bills
and with the sharp and formidable claws of the tiger; they are
also further distinguished by their large heads, short necks,
strong muscular thighs in aid of their retractile talons, and
a sight so piercing as to enable them, while soaring at the
greatest height, to perceive their prey, upon which they some-
times descend, like an arrow, with undeviating aim. In these
birds the stomach is smaller than in the granivorous kinds, and
their intestines are shorter. Like beasts of prey, they are of a
fierce and unsociable nature ; and so far from herding together
like the inoffensive tribes, they drive even their offspring from
the eyry, and seek habitually the shelter of desert rocks, ne-
glected ruins, or the solitude of the darkest forest, from whence
INTRODUCTION. XV
they utter loud, terrific, or piercing cries, in accordance with
the gloomy rage and inquietude of their insatiable desires.
Besides these grand divisions of the winged nations, there
are others, which, in their habits and manners, might be com-
pared to the amphibious animals, as they live chiefly on the
water, and feed on its productions. To enable them to swim
and dive in quest of their aquatic food, their toes are con-
nected by broad membranes or webs, with which, like oars,
they strike the water, and are impelled with force. In this way
even the seas, lakes, and rivers, abounding with fish, insects,
and seeds, swarm with birds of various kinds, which all obtain
an abundant supply. There are other aquatic birds, frequent-
ing marshes and the margins of lakes, rivers, and the sea,
which seem to partake of an intermediate nature between the
land and water tribes. Some of these feed on fishes and rep.
tiles ; others, with long and sensible bills and extended necks,
seek their food in wet and muddy marshes. ‘These birds are
not made for swimming; but, familiar with water, they wade,
and many follow the edge of the retiring waves of the sea,
gleaning their insect prey at the recession of the tides: for
this kind of life Nature has provided them with long legs, bare
of feathers even above the knees; their toes, unconnected by
webs, are only partially furnished with membranous appen-
dages, just sufficient to support them on the soft and boggy
grounds they frequent. To this tribe belong the Cranes, Snipes,
Sandpipers, Woodcocks, and many others.
In comparing the senses of animals in connection with their
instinct, we find that of s¢gh¢ to be more extended, more acute,
and more distinct in birds, in general, than in quadrupeds. I
say ‘‘in general,’ for there are some birds, such as the Owls,
whose vision is less clear than that of quadrupeds; but this
rather results from the extreme sensibility of the eye, which,
though dazzled with the glare of full day, nicely distinguishes
even small objects by the aid of twilight. In all birds the
organ of sight is furnished with two membranes, — an external
anil internal, — additional to those which occur in the human
subject. The former, membrana nictitans, or external mem-
Xvi INTRODUCTION.
brane, is situated in the larger angle of the eye, and is, in
fact, a second and more transparent eyelid, whose motions are
directed at pleasure, and its use, besides occasionally cleaning
and polishing the cornea, is to temper the excess of light and
adjust the quantity admitted to the extreme delicacy of the
organ. The other membrane, situated at the bottom of the
eye, appears to be an expansion of the optic nerve, which, re-
ceiving more immediately the impressions of the light, must be
much more sensible than in other animals; and consequently
the sight is in birds far more perfect, and embraces a wider
range. Facts and observations bear out this conclusion ; for a
Sparrow-hawk, while hovering in the air, perceives a Lark or
other small bird, sitting on the ground, at twenty times the dis-
tance that such an object would be visible to a man or dog.
A Kite, which soars beyond the reach of human vision, yet
distinguishes a lizard, field-mouse, or bird, and from this lofty
station selects the tiny object of his prey, descending upon it
in nearly a perpendicular line. But it may also be added that
this prodigious extent of vision is likewise accompanied with
equal accuracy and clearness; for the eye can dilate or con-
tract, be shaded or exposed, depressed or made protuberant,
so as readily to assume the precise form suited to the degree
of light and the distance of the object; the organ thus answer-
ing, as it were, the purpose of a self-adjusting telescope, with a
shade for examining the most luminous and dazzling objects ;
and hence the Eagle is often seen to ascend to the higher
regions of the atmosphere, gazing on the unclouded sun as on
an ordinary and familiar object.
The rapid motions executed by birds have also a reference
to the perfection of their vision; for if Nature, while she en-
dowed them with great agility and vast muscular strength, had
left them as short-sighted as ourselves, their latent powers
would have availed them nothing, and the dangers of a per-
petually impeded progress would have repressed or extin-
guished their ardor. We may then, in general, consider the
celerity with which an animal moves, as a just indication of
the perfection of its vision. A bird, therefore, shooting swiftly
INTRODUCTION. Xvii
through the air, must undoubtedly see better than one which
slowly describes a waving tract. The weak-sighted bat, flying
carefully through bars of willow, even when the eyes were ex-
tinguished, may seem to suggest an exception to this rule of
relative velocity and vision ; but in this case, as in that of some
blind individuals of the human species, the exquisite auditory
apparatus seems capable of supplying the defect of sight. Nor
are the flickerings of the bat, constantly performed in a narrow
circuit, at all to be compared to the distant and lofty soarings
of the Eagle, or the wide wanderings of the smaller birds, who
often annually pass and repass from the arctic circle to the
equator.
The idea of motion, and all the other ideas connected with
it, such as those of relative velocities, extent of country, the
proportional height of eminences, and of the various inequali-
ties that prevail on the surface, are therefore more precise in
birds, and occupy a larger share of their conceptions, than in
the grovelling quadrupeds. Nature would seem to have pointed
out this superiority of vision, by the more conspicuous and
elaborate structure of its organ ; for in birds the eye is larger in
proportion to the bulk of the head than in quadrupeds; it is
also more delicate and finely fashioned, and the impressions it
receives must consequently excite more vivid ideas.
Another cause of difference in the instincts of birds and
quadrupeds is the nature of the element in which they live.
Birds know better than man the degrees of resistance in the
air, its temperature at different heights, its relative density, and
many other particulars, probably, of which we can form no
adequate conception. They foresee more than we, and indi-
cate better than our weather-glasses, the changes which happen
in that voluble fluid; for often have they contended with the
violence of the wind, and still oftener have they borrowed the
advantage of its aid. The Eagle, soaring above the clouds, can
at will escape the scene of the storm, and in the lofty region of
calm, far within the aérial boundary of eternal frost, enjoy a
1 The mean heights of eternal frost under the equator and at the latitude of
30° and 60° are, respectively, 15,207, 11.,$4, and 3,818 feet,
vou. 1.—9
XVii INTRODUCTION.
serene sky and a bright sun, while the terrestrial animals re-
main involved in darkness and exposed to all the fury of the
tempest. In twenty-four hours it can change its climate, and
sailing over different countries, it will form a picture exceeding
the powers of the pencil or the imagination. The quadruped
knows only the spot where it feeds, — its valley, mountain, or
plain; it has no conception of the expanse of surface or of
remote distances, and generally no desire to push forward its
excursions beyond the bounds of its immediate wants. Hence
remote journeys and extensive migrations are as rare among
quadrupeds as they are frequent among birds. It is this
desire, founded on their acquaintance with foreign countries,
on the consciousness of their expeditious course, and on their
foresight of the changes that will happen in the atmosphere,
and the revolutions of seasons, that prompts them to retire
together at the powerful suggestions of an unerring instinct.
When their food begins to fail, or the cold and heat to incom-
mode them, their innate feelings and latent powers urge them
to seek the necessary remedy for the evils that threaten their
being. The inquietude of the old is communicated to the
young ; and collecting in troops by common consent, influ-
enced by the same general wants, impressed with the approach-
ing changes in the circumstances of their existence, they give
way to the strong reveries of instinct, and wing their way over
land and sea to some distant and better country.
Comparing animals with each other, we soon perceive that
smell, in general, is much more acute among the quadrupeds
than the birds. Even the pretended scent of the Vulture is
imaginary, as he does not perceive the tainted carrion, on
which he feeds, through a wicker basket, though its odor is as
potent as in the open air. This choice also of decaying flesh
is probably regulated by his necessities and the deficiency ot
his muscular powers to attack a living, or even tear in pieces a
recent, prey. The structure of the olfactory organ in birds is
obviously inferior to that of quadrupeds ; the external nostrils
are wanting, and those odors which might excite sensation
have access only to the duct leading from the palate ; and even
INTRODUCTION. Xix
i chose, where the organ is disclosed, the nerves, which take
their origin from it, are far from being so numerous, so large,
or so expanded as in the quadrupeds. We may therefore
regard fouch in man, sme in the quadruped, and szgh¢ in
birds, as respectively the three most perfect senses which
exercise a general influence on the character.
After sight, the most perfect of the senses in birds appears
to be hearing, which is even superior to that of the quadru-
peds, and scarcely exceeded in the human species. We per-
ceive with what facility they retain and repeat tones, successions
of notes, and even words; we delight to listen to their un-
wearied songs, to the incessant warbling of their tuneful affec-
tion. Their ear and throat are more ductile and powerful
than in other animals, and their voice more capacious and
generally agreeable. A Crow, which is scarcely more than the
thousandth part the size of an ox, may be heard as far, or
farther ; the Nightingale can fill a wider space with its music
than the human voice. This prodigious extent and power of
sound depend entirely on the structure of their organs; but
the support and continuance of their song result solely from
their internal emotions.
The windpipe is wider and stronger in birds than in any
other class of animals, and usually terminates below in a large
cavity that augments the sound. The lungs too have greater
extent, and communicate with internal cavities which are
capable of being expanded with air, and, besides lightening
the body, give additional strength to the voice. Indeed, the
formation of the thorax, the lungs, and all the organs connected
with these, seems expressly calculated to give force and dura-
tion to their utterance.
Another circumstance, showing the great power of voice in
birds, is the distance at which they are audible in the higher
regions of the atmosphere. An Eagle may rise at least to the
height of seventeen thousand feet, for it is there just visible.
Flocks of Storks and Geese may mount still higher, since, not-
withstanding the space they occupy, they soar almost out of
sight ; their cry will therefore be heard from an altitude of
XX INTRODUCTION.
more than three miles, and is at least four times as powerful as
the voice of men and quadrupeds.
Sweetness of voice and melody of song are qualities which in
birds are partly natural and partly acquired. The facility with
which they catch and repeat sounds, enables them not only to
borrow from each other, but often even to copy the more diffi-
cult inflections and tones of the human voice, as well as of
musical instruments. It is remarkable that in the tropical
regions, where the birds are arrayed in the most glowing
colors, their voices are hoarse, grating, singular, or terrific.
Our sylvan Orpheus (the Mocking-bird), the Brown Thrush,
the Warbling Flycatcher, as well as the Linnet, the Thrush,
the Blackbird, and the Nightingale of Europe, pre-eminent for
song, are all of the plainest colors and weakest tints.
The natural tones of birds, setting aside those derived from
education, express the various modifications of their wants and
passions ; they change even according to different times and
circumstances. The females are much more silent than the
males; they have cries of pain or fear, murmurs of inquietude
or solicitude, especially for their young; but of song they are
generally deprived. The song of the male is inspired by ten-
der emotion, he chants his affectionate lay with a sonorous
voice, and the female replies in feeble accents. The Nightin-
gale, when he first arrives in the spring, without his mate, is
silent ; he begins his lay in low, faltering, and unfrequent airs ;
and it is not until his consort sits on her eggs that his en-
chanting melody is complete: he then tries to relieve and
amuse her tedious hours of incubation, and warbles more
pathetically and variably his amorous and soothing lay. In a
state of nature this propensity for song only continues through
the breeding season, for after that period it either entirely
ceases, becomes enfeebled, or loses its sweetness.
Conjugal fidelity and parental affection are among the most
conspicuous traits of the feathered tribes. The pair unite their
labors in preparing for the accommodation of their expected
progeny ; and during the time of incubation their participa-
tion of the same cares and solicitudes continually augments
INTRODUCTION. XX
their mutual attachment. When the young appear, a new
source of care and pleasure opens to them, still strengthening
the ties of affection; and the tender charge of rearing and
defending their infant brood requires the joint attention of
both parents. The warmth of first affection is thus succeeded
.by calm and steady attachment, which by degrees extends,
without suffering any diminution, to the rising branches of the
family.
This conjugal union, in the rapacious tribe of birds, the
Eagles and Hawks, as well as with the Ravens and Crows, con-
tinues commonly through life. Among many other kinds it is
also of long endurance, as we may perceive in our common
Pewee and the Blue-bird, who year after year continue to fre-
quent and build in the same cave, box, or hole in the decayed
orchard tree. But, in general, this association of the sexes
expires with the season, after it has completed the intentions
of reproduction, in the preservation and rearing of the off-
spring. The appearance even of sexual distinction often van-
ishes in the autumn, when both the parents and their young
are then seen in the same humble and oblivious dress. When
they arrive again amongst us in the spring, the males in flocks,
often by themselves, are clad anew in their nuptial livery ; and
with vigorous songs, after the cheerless silence in which they
have passed the winter, they now seek out their mates, and
warmly contest the right to their exclusive favor.
With regard to food, birds have a more ample latitude than
quadrupeds ; flesh, fish, amphibia, reptiles, insects, fruits, grain,
seeds, roots, herbs, — in a word, whatever lives or vegetates.
Nor are they very select in their choice, but often catch indif-
ferently at what they can most easily obtain. Their sense of
taste appears indeed much less acute than in quadrupeds ; for
if we except such as are carnivorous, their tongue and palate
are, in general, hard, and almost cartilaginous. Sight and scent
can only direct them, though they possess the latter in an infe-
rior degree. The greater number swallow without tasting ; and
mastication, which constitutes the chief pleasure in eating, is
entirely wanting to them. As their horny jaws are unprovided
XXii INTRODUCTION.
with teeth, the food undergoes no preparation in the mouth,
but is swallowed in unbruised and untasted morsels. Yet there
is reason to believe that the first action of the stomach, or its
preparatory ventricudus, affords in some degree the ruminating
gratification of taste, as after swallowing food, in some insectiv-
orous and carnivorous birds, the motion of the mandibles, ex-
actly like that of ordinary tasting, can hardly be conceived to
exist without conveying some degree of gratifying sensation.
The clothing of birds varies with the habits and climates
they inhabit. The aquatic tribes, and those which live in
northern regions, are provided with an abundance of plumage
and fine down, — from which circumstance often we may form a
correct judgment of their natal regions. In all climates, aqua-
tic birds are almost equally feathered, and are provided with
posterior glands containing an oily substance for anointing
their feathers, which, aided by their thickness, prevents the
admission of moisture to their bodies. These glands are less
conspicuous in land birds, — unless, like the fishing Eagles, their
habits be to plunge in the water in pursuit of their prey.
The general structure of feathers seems purposely adapted
both for warmth of clothing and security of flight. In the
wings of all birds which fly, the webs composing the vanes, or
plumy sides of the feather, mutually interlock by means of reg-
ular rows of slender, hair-like teeth, so that the feather, except
at and towards its base, serves as a complete and close screen
from the weather on the one hand, and as an impermeable oar
on the other, when situated in the wing, and required to catch
and retain the impulse of the air. In the birds which do not
fly, and inhabit warm climates, the feathers are few and thin,
and their lateral webs are usually separate, as in the Ostrich,
Cassowary, Emu, and extinct Dodo. In some cases feathers
seem to pass into the hairs, which ordinarily clothe the quadru-
peds, as in the Cassowary, and others; and the base of the
bill in many birds is usually surrounded with these capillary
plumes.
The greater number of birds cast their feathers annually, and
appear to suffer much more from it than the quadrupeds do
INTRODUCTION. XXill
from a similar change. The best-fed fowl ceases at this time
to lay. The season of moulting is generally the end of summer
or autumn, and their feathers are not completely restored till
the spring. The male sometimes undergoes, as we have already
remarked, an additional moult towards the close of summer ;
and among many of the waders and web-footed tribes, as Sand-
pipers, Plovers, and Gulls, both sexes experience a moult twice
in the year, so that their summer and winter livery appears
wholly different.
The stratagems and contrivances instinctively employed by
birds for their support and protection are peculiarly remark-
able ; in this way those which are weak are enabled to elude
the pursuit of the strong and rapacious. Some are even
screened from the attacks of their enemies by an arrangement
of colors assimilated to the places which they most frequent
for subsistence and repose: thus the Wryneck is scarcely to be
distinguished from the tree on which it seeks its food ; or the
Snipe from the soft and springy ground which it frequents.
The Great Plover finds its chief security in stony places, to
which its colors are so nicely adapted that the most exact
observer may be deceived. The same resort is taken advantage
of by the Night Hawk, Partridge, Plover, and the American
Quail, the young brood of which squat on the ground, instinc-
tively conscious of being nearly invisible, from their close
resemblance to the broken ground on which they lie, and trust
to this natural concealment. The same kind of deceptive and
protecting artifice is often employed by birds to conceal or
render the appearance of their nests ambiguous. Thus the
European Wren forms its nest externally of hay, if against
a hayrick; covered with lichens, if the tree chosen is so
clad ; or made of green moss, when the decayed trunk in which
it is built, is thus covered; and then, wholly closing it above,
leaves only a concealed entry in the side. Our Humming-
bird, by external patches of lichen, gives her nest the appear-
ance of a moss-grown knot. A similar artifice is employed by
our Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, or Vireo, and others. The
XXIV INTRODUCTION.
Golden-crowned Thrush (Seturus aurocapillus) makes a nest
like an oven, erecting an arch over it so perfectly resem-
bling the tussuck in which it is concealed that it is only dis-
coverable by the emotion of the female when startled from its
covert.
The Butcher-bird is said to draw around him his feathered
victims by treacherously imitating their notes. The Kingfisher
of Europe is believed to allure his prey by displaying the
brilliancy of his colors as he sits near some sequestered place
on the margin of a rivulet; the fish, attracted by the splen-
dor of his fluttering and expanded wings, are detained while
the wily fisher takes an unerring aim! The Emme, and our
Bald Eagle, gain a great part of their subsistence by watching
the success of the Fish Hawk, and robbing him of his finny prey
as soon as it is caught. In the same way also the rapacious
Burgomaster, or Glaucous Gull (Zavus glaucus), of the North
levies his tribute of food from all the smaller species of his
race, who, knowing his strength and ferocity, are seldom inclined
to dispute his piratical claims. Several species of Cuckoo, and
the Cow Troopial of America, habitually deposit their eggs in
the nests of other small birds, to whose deceived affection are
committed the preservation and rearing of the parasitic and
vagrant brood. The instinctive arts of birds are numerous ;
but treachery, like that which obtains in these parasitic species,
is among the rarest expedients of nature in the feathered
tribes, though not uncommon among some insect families.
The art displayed by birds in the construction of their tem-
porary habitations, or nests, is also deserving of passing
attention. Among the Gallinaceous tribe, including our land
domestic species, as well as the aquatic and wading kinds,
scarcely any attempt at anest is made. The birds which swarm
along the sea-coast often deposit their eggs on the bare ground,
sand, or slight depressions in shelving rocks; governed alone
by grosser wants, their mutual attachment is feeble or nugatory,
and neither art nor instinct prompts attention to the construc-
1 The bright feathers of this bird enter often successfully, with others, into
the composition of the most attractive artificial flies employed by anglers.
INTRODUCTION. XXV
tion of a nest, — the less necessary, indeed, as the young run or
take to the water as soon as hatched, and early release them-
selves from parental dependence. The habits of the other aqua-
tic birds are not very dissimilar to these ; yet it is singular to
remark that while ourcommon Geese and Ducks, like domestic
Fowls, have no permanent selective attachment for their mates,
the Canadian Wild Goose, the Eider Duck, and some others,
are constantly and faithfully paired through the season; so
that this neglect of accommodation for the young in the fabri-
cation of an artificial nest, common to these with the rest of
their tribe, has less connection with the requisition of mutual
aid than with the hardy and precocious habits of these unmusi-
cal, coarse, and retiring birds. It is true that some of them
show considerable address, if little of art, in providing security
for their young ; in this way some of the Razor-bills (including
the Common Puffin) do not trust the exposure of their eggs,
like the Gulls, who rather rely on the solitude of their retreat,
than art in its defence; but with considerable labor some of
the Alcas form a deep burrow for the security of their brood.
Birds of the same genus differ much in their modes of nidi-
fication. Thus the Martin makes a nest within a rough-cast
rampart of mud, and enters by a flat opening in the upper
edge. The Cliff Swallow of Bonaparte conceals its warm and
feathered nest in a receptacle of agglutinated mud resembling
a narrow-necked purse or retort. Another species, in the
Indian seas, forms a small receptacle for its young entirely
of interlaced gelatinous fibres, provided by the mouth and
stomach ; these nests, stuck in clusters against the rocks, are
collected by the Chinese, and boiled and eaten in soups as
the rarest delicacy. The Bank Martin, like the Kipgfisher,
burrows deep into the friable banks of rivers to secure a de-
pository for its scantily feathered nest. The Chimney Swallow,
originally an inhabitant of hollow trees, builds in empty chim-
neys a bare nest of agglutinated twigs. The Woodpecker,
Nuthatch, Titmouse, and our rural Bluebird, secure their
young in hollow trees; and the first often gouge and dig
through the solid wood with the success and industry of car-
XXVi INTRODUCTION.
penters, and without the aid of any other chisel than their
wedged bills.
But the most consummate ingenuity of ornithal architecture
is displayed by the smaller and more social tribes of birds, who,
in proportion to their natural enemies, foreseen by Nature, are
provided with the means of instinctive defence. In this labor
both sexes generally unite, and are sometimes occupied a week
or more in completing this temporary habitation for their
young. We can only glance at a few examples, chiefly domes-
tic ; since to give anything like a general view of this subject
of the architecture employed by birds would far exceed the
narrow limits we prescribe. And here we may remark that,
after migration, there is no more certain display of the reveries
of instinct than what presides over this interesting and neces-
sary labor of the species. And yet so nice are the gradations
betwixt this innate propensity and the dawnings of reason that
it is not always easy to decide upon the characteristics of
one as distinct from the other. Pure and undeviating in-
stincts are perhaps wholly confined to the invertebral class of
animals.
In respect to the habits of birds, we well know that, like
quadrupeds, they possess, though in a lower degree, the capa-
city for a certain measure of what may be termed education,
or the power of adding to their stock of invariable habits the
additional traits of an inferior degree of reason. Thus in those
birds who have discovered (like the faithful dog, that humble
companion of man) the advantages to be derived from asso-
ciating round his premises, the regularity of their instinctive
habits gives way, in a measure, to improvable conceptions. In
this manner our Golden Robin (J/eterus baltimore), or Fiery ,
Hang Bird, originally only a native of the wilderness and the
forest, is now a constant summer resident in the vicinity of
villages and dwellings. From the depending boughs of our
towering elms, and other spreading trees, like the Oriole of
Europe, and the Cassican of tropical America, he weaves his
pendulous and purse-like nest of the most tenacious and dur-
able materials he can collect. These naturally consist of the
INTRODUCTION. XXVil
Indian hemp, flax of the silk-weed (Asclepias species), and
other tough and fibrous substances ; but with a ready ingenuity
he discovers that real flax and hemp, as well as thread, cotton,
yarn, and even hanks of silk, or small strings, and horse and
cow hair, are excellent substitutes for his original domestic ma-
terials; and in order to be convenient to these accidental
resources, — a matter of some importance in so tedious a labor,
— he has left the wild woods of his ancestry, and conscious of
the security of his lofty and nearly inaccessible mansion, has
taken up his welcome abode in the precincts of our habitations.
The same motives of convenience and comfort have had their
apparent influence on many more of our almost domestic
feathered tribes; the Bluebirds, Wrens, and Swallows, original
inhabitants of the woods, are now no less familiar than our
Pigeons. The Catbird often leaves his native solitary thickets
for the convenience and refuge of the garden, and watch-
ing, occasionally, the motions of the tenant, answers to his
whistle with complacent mimicry, or in petulant anger scolds at
his intrusion. The Common Robin, who never varies his simple
and coarse architecture, tormented by the parasitic Cuckoo
or the noisy: Jay, who seek at times to rob him of his progeny,
for protection has been known fearlessly to build his nest
within a few yards of the blacksmith’s anvil, or on the stern
timbers of an unfinished vessel, where the carpenters were still
employed in their noisy labors. That sagacity obtains its influ-
ence over unvarying instinct in these and many other familiar
birds, may readily be conceived when we observe that this
venturous association with man vanishes with the occasion
which required it ; for no sooner have the Oriole and Robin
reared their young than their natural suspicion and shyness
again return.
Deserts and solitudes are avoided by most kinds of birds.
In an extensive country of unvarying surface, or possessing but
little variety of natural productions, and particularly where
streams and waters are scarce, few of the feathered tribes are
to be found. The extensive prairies of the West, and the
gloomy and almost interminable forests of the North, as well as
XXVIil INTRODUCTION.
the umbrageous, wild, and unpeopled banks of the Mississippi.
and other of the larger rivers, no less than the vast pine-bar-
rens of the Southern States, are nearly without birds as perma-
nent residents. In crossing the desolate piny glades of the
South, with the exception of Creepers, Nuthatches, Wood-
peckers, Pine Warblers, and flocks of flitting Larks (Sturnedla),
scarcely any birds are to be seen till we approach the mean-
ders of some stream, or the precincts of a plantation. The
food of birds being extremely various, they consequently con-
gregate only where sustenance is to be obtained; watery situa-
tions and a diversified vegetation are necessary for their support,
and convenient for their residence; the fruits of the garden
and orchard, the swarms of insects which follow the progress of
agriculture, the grain which we cultivate, — in short, everything
which contributes to our luxuries and wants, in the way of
subsistence, no less than the recondite and tiny enemies which
lessen or attack these various resources, all conduce to the
support of the feathered race, which consequently seek out and
frequent our settlements as humble and useful dependents.
The most ingenious and labored nest of all the North Amer-
ican birds is that of the Orchard Oriole, or Troopial. It is
suspended, or pensile, like that of the Baltimore Bird, but, with
the exception of hair, constantly constructed of native mate-
rials, the principal of which is a kind of tough grass. The
blades are formed into a sort of platted purse but little inferior
to a coarse straw bonnet; the artificial labor bestowed is so
apparent that Wilson humorously adds, on his showing it to a
matron of his acquaintance, betwixt joke and earnest, she
asked “if he thought it cquld not be taught to darn stock-
ings.” Every one has heard of the Tailor Bird of India (Sy/via
sutoria) ; this little architect, by way of saving labor and gain-
ing security for its tiny fabric, sometimes actually, as a seam-
stress, sews together the edges of two leaves of a tree, in which
her nest, at the extremity of the branch, is then secured for the
period of incubation. Among the Sy/zas, or Warblers, there
is a species, inhabiting Florida and the West Indies, the
Sylvia pensiis, which forms its woven, covered nest to rock in
INTRODUCTION. XXIixX
the air at the end of two suspending strings, rather than trust
it to the wily enemies by which it is surrounded ; the entrance,
for security, is also from below, and through a winding vestibule.
Our little cheerful and almost domestic Wren ( Zvoglody¢es
fulvus), which so often disputes with the Martin and the Blue-
bird the possession of the box set up for their accommodation
in the garden or near the house, in his native resort of a hollow
tree, or the shed of some neglected out-house, begins his fabric
by forming a barricade of crooked interlacing twigs, — a kind
of chevaux-de-frise, — for the defence of his internal habitation,
leaving merely a very small entrance at the upper edge. The
industry of this little bird, and his affection for his mate, are
somewhat remarkable, as he frequently completes his habita-
tion without aid, and then searches out a female on whom to
bestow it; but not being always successful, or the premises not
satisfactory to his mistress, his labor remains sometimes with-
out reward, and he continues to warble out his lay in solitude.
The same gallant habit prevails also with our recluse Wren of
the marshes. Wilson’s Marsh Wren (Zvroglodytes palustris),
instead of courting the advantages of a proximity to our dwel-
lings, lives wholly among the reed-fens, suspending his mud-
plastered and circularly covered nest usually to the stalks of
the plant he so much affects. Another marsh species inhabits
the low and swampy meadows of our vicinity (Z7oglodytes bre-
virostris), and with ready address constructs its globular nest
wholly of the intertwined sedge-grass of the tussock on which
it is built; these two species never leave their subaquatic
retreats but for the purpose of distant migration, and avoid
and deprecate in angry twitterings every sort of society but
their own.
Among the most extraordinary habitations of birds, illustra-
tive of their instinctive invention, may be mentioned that of
the Bengal Grosbeak, whose pensile nest, suspended from the
lofty boughs of the Indian fig-tree, is fabricated of grass, like
cloth, in the form of a large bottle, with the entrance down-
wards ; it consists also of two or three chambers, supposed to
be occasionally illuminated by the fire-flies, which, however,
XXX INTRODUCTION.
only constitute a part of the food it probably conveys for the
support of its young. But the most extraordinary instinct of
this kind known, is exhibited by the Sociable, or Republican
Grosbeak (/Voceus socius, Cuvier), of the Cape of Good Hope.
In one tree, according to Mr. Paterson, there could not be
fewer than from eight hundred to one thousand of these nests,
covered by one general roof, resembling that of a thatched
house, and projecting over the entrance of the nest. Their
common industry almost resembles that of bees. Beneath this
roof there are many entrances, each of which forms, as it were,
a regular street, with nests on either side, about two inches dis-
tant from each other. The material which they employ in this
building is a kind of fine grass, whose seed, also, at the same
time serves them for food.
That birds, besides their predilection for the resorts of men,
are also capable of appreciating consequences to themselves
and young, scarcely admits the shadow of a doubt; they are
capable of communicating their fears and nicely calculating
the probability of danger or the immunities of favor. We talk
of the cunning of the Fox and the watchfulness of the Weasel ;
but the Eagle, Hawk, Raven, Crow, Pye, and Blackbird pos-
sess those traits of shrewdness and caution which would seem
to arise from reflection and prudence. They well know the
powerful weapons and wiles of civilized man. Without being
able to smel/ powder, —a vulgar idea, — the Crow and Blackbird
at once suspect the character of the fatal gun ; they will alight on
the backs of cattle without any show of apprehension, and the
Pye even hops upon them with insulting and garrulous playful-
ness ; but he flies instantly from his human enemy, and seems,
by his deprecating airs, aware of the proscription that affects
his existence. A man on horseback or in a carriage is much
less an object of suspicion to those wily birds than when alone ;
and I have been frequently both amused and surprised, in the
Southern States, by the sagacity of the Common Blackbirds in
starting from the ploughing field, with looks of alarm, at the
sight of a white man, as distinct from and more dangerous than
the black slave, whose furrow they closely and familiarly fol-
INTRODUCTION, XxXxi
lowed, for the insect food it afforded them, without betraying
any appearance of distrust. Need we any further proof of
the capacity for change of disposition than that which has so
long operated upon our domestic poultry ? — “ those victims,”
as Buffon slightingly remarks, “which are multiplied without
trouble, and sacrificed without regret.” How different the hab-
its of our.Goose and Duck in their wild and tame condition !
Instead of that excessive and timid cautiousness, so peculiar
to their savage nature, they keep company with the domestic
cattle, and hardly shuffle out of our path. Nay, the Gander
is a very ban-dog, — noisy, gabbling, and vociferous, he gives
notice of the stranger’s approach, is often the terror of the
meddling school-boy, in defence of his fostered brood; and it
is reported of antiquity, that by their usual garrulity and watch-
fulness they once saved the Roman capitol. Not only is the
disposition of these birds changed by domestication, but even
their strong instinct to migration, or wandering longings, are
wholly annihilated. Instead of joining the airy phalanx which
wing their way to distant regions, they grovel contented in the
perpetual abundance attendant on their willing slavery. If
instinct can thus be destroyed or merged in artificial circum-
stances, need we wonder that this protecting and innate intelli-
gence is capable also of another change by improvement,
adapted to new habits and unnatural restraints? Even without
undergoing the slavery of domestication, many birds become
fully sensible of immunities and protection; and in the same
aquatic and rude family of birds already mentioned we may
quote the tame habits of the Eider Ducks. In Iceland and
other countries, where they breed in such numbers as to render
their valuable down an object of commerce, they are forbidden
to be killed under legal penalty ; and as if aware of this legisla-
tive security, they sit on their eggs undisturbed at the approach
of man, and are entirely as familiar, during this season of
breeding, as our tamed Ducks. Nor are they apparently aware
of the cheat habitually practised upon them of abstracting the
down with which they line their nests, though it is usually
repeated until they make the third attempt at incubation. If,
XxxXii INTRODUCTION.
however, the last nest, with its eggs and down, to the lining
of which the male is now obliged to contribute, be taken away,
they sagaciously leave the premises, without return. The pious
Storks, in Holland, protected by law for their usefulness, build
their nests on the tops of houses and churches, often in the
midst oi cities, in boxes prepared for them, like those for our
Martins ; and, walking about the streets and gardens without
apprehension of danger, perform the usual office of domestic
scavengers.
‘That birds, like our more sedentary and domestic quadru-
peds, are capable of exhibiting attachment to those who feed
and attend them, is undeniable. Deprived of other society,
some of our more intelligent species, particularly the Thrushes,
soon learn to seek out the company of their friends or protec-
tors of the human species. The Brown Thrush and Mocking
Bird become in this way extremely familiar, cheerful, and
capriciously playful ; the former, in particular, courts the atten-
tion of his master, follows his steps, complains when neglected,
flies to him when suffered to be at large, and sings and reposes
gratefully perched on his hand, — in short, by all his actions he
appears capable of real and affectionate attachment, and is
jealous of every rival, particularly any other bird, which he
persecutes from his presence with unceasing hatred. His pet-
ulant dislike to particular objects of less moment is also dis-
played by various tones and gestures, which soon become
sufficiently intelligible to those who are near him, as well as
his notes of gratulation and satisfaction. His language of
fear and surprise could never be mistaken, and an imitation of
his guttural low ésherr, ¢sherr, on these occasions, answers as
a premonitory warning when any, danger awaits him from the
sly approach of cat or squirrel. As I have now descended, as
I may say, to the actual biography of one of these birds, which
I raised and kept uncaged for some time, I may also add, that
besides a playful turn for mischief and interruption, in which
he would sometimes snatch off the paper on which I was writ-
ing, he had a good degree of curiosity, and was much surprised
one day by a large springing beetle or Alater (£. ocellatus),
INTRODUCTION, XXXill
which I had caught and placed in a tumbler. On all such
occasions his looks of capricious surprise were very amusing ; he
cautiously approached the glass with fanning and closing wings,
and in an under-tone confessed his surprise at the address and
jumping motion of the huge insect. At length he became
bolder, and perceiving it had a relation to his ordinary prey of
beetles, he, with some hesitation, ventured to snatch at the
prisoner between temerity and playfulness. But when really
alarmed or offended, he instantly flew to his loftiest perch, for-
bid all friendly approaches, and for some time kept up his low
and angry ¢sherr. My late friend, the venerable William Bar-
tram, was also much amused by the intelligence displayed by
this bird, and relates that one which he kept, being fond of
hard bread-crumbs, found, when they grated his throat, a very
rational remedy in softening them, by soaking in his vessel of
water ; he likewise, by experience, discovered that the painful
prick of the wasps on which he fed, could be obviated by ex-
tracting their stings. But it would be too tedious and minute
to follow out these glimmerings of intelligence, which exist
as well in birds as in our most sagacious quadrupeds. The
remarkable talent of the Parrot for imitating the tones of the
human voice has long been familiar. The most extraordinary
and well-authenticated account of the actions of one of the
common ash-colored species is that of a bird which Colonel
O'Kelly bought for a hundred guineas at Bristol. This indi-
vidual not only repeated a great number of sentences, but
answered many questions, and was able to whistle a variety of
tunes. While thus engaged it beat time with all the appear-
ance of science, and possessed a judgment, or ear so accurate,
that if by chance it mistook a note, it would revert to the bar
where the mistake was made, correct itself, and still beating
regular time, go again through the whole with perfect exact-
ness. So celebrated was this surprising bird that an obituary
notice of its death appeared in the “General Evening Post”
for the 9th of October, 1802. In this account it is added, that
besides her great musical faculties, she could express her wants
articulately, and give her orders in a manner approaching to
vVor.1.—¢ .
XXXIV INTRODUCTION.
rationality. She was, at the time of her decease, supposed to
be more than thirty years of age. The colonel was repeat-
edly offered five hundred guineas a year for the bird, by
persons who wished to make a public exhibition of her; but
out of tenderness to his favorite he constantly refused the
offer.
The story related by Goldsmith of a parrot belonging to
King Henry the Seventh, is very amusing, and possibly true. It
was kept in a room in the Palace of Westminster, overlooking
the Thames, and had naturally enough learned a store of boat-
men’s phrases ; one day, sporting somewhat incautiously, Poll
fell into the river, but had rationality enough, it appears, to
make a profitable use of the words she had learned, and ac-
cordingly vociferated, “A boat! twenty pounds fora boat!”
This welcome sound reaching the ears of a waterman, soon
brought assistance to the Parrot, who delivered it to the
king, with a request to be paid the round sum so readily prom-
ised by the bird; but his Majesty, dissatisfied with the exor-
bitant demand, agreed, at any rate, to give him what the
bird should now award; in answer to which reference, Poll
shrewdly cried, “Give the knave a groat!”
The story given by Locke, in his “ Essay on the Human
Understanding,” though approaching closely to rationality, and
apparently improbable, may not be a greater effort than could
have been accomplished by Colonel O’Kelly’s bird. This
Parrot had attracted the attention of Prince Maurice, then
governor of Brazil, who had a curiosity to witness its powers.
The bird was introduced into the room, where sat the prince
in company with several Dutchmen. On viewing them, the
Parrot exclaimed, in Portuguese, “‘ What a company of white
men are here!” Pointing to the prince, they asked, “ Who is
that man?’ to which the Parrot replies, “Some general or
other.” The prince now asked, “From what place do you
come?” The answer was, “From Marignan.” ‘To whom
do you belong?” It answered, ‘To a Portuguese.’ “What
do you do there?” To which the Parrot replied, “ I look after
chickens!” The prince, now laughing, exclaimed, “ You look
INTRODUCTION, XXXV
after chickens !’’ To which Poll pertinently answered, “Yes,
/,—and I know well enough how to do it;” clucking at the
same instant in the manner of a calling brood-hen.
The docility of birds in catching and expressing sounds
depends, of course, upon the perfection of their voice and
hearing, — assisted also by no inconsiderable power of memory.
The imitative actions and passiveness of some small birds, such
as Goldfinches, Linnets, and Canaries, are, however, quite as
curious as their expression of sounds. A Sieur Roman exhib-
ited in England some of these birds, one of which simulated
death, and was held up by the tail or claw without showing any
active signs of life. A second balanced itself on the head,
with its claws in the air. A third imitated a milkmaid going to
market, with pails on its shoulders. A fourth mimicked a
Venetian girl looking out at a window. A fifth acted the
soldier, and mounted guard as a sentinel. The sixth was a
cannonier, with a cap on its head, a firelock on its shoulder,
and with a match in its claw discharged a small cannon. The
same bird also acted as if wounded, was wheeled in a little
barrow, as it were to the hospital; after which it flew away
before the company. The seventh turned a kind of windmill ;
and the last bird stood amidst a discharge of small fireworks,
without showing any sign of fear.
A similar exhibition, in which twenty-four Canary birds
were the actors, was also shown in London in 1820, by a
Frenchman named Dujon; one of these suffered itself to be
shot at, and falling down, as if dead, was put into a little
wheelbarrow and conveyed away by one of its comrades.
The docility of the Canary and Goldfinch is thus, by dint of
severe education, put in fair competition with that of the dog ;
and we cannot deny to the feathered creation a share of that
kind of rational intelligence exhibited by some of our sagacious
quadrupeds, — an incipient knowledge of cause and effect far
removed from the unimprovable and unchangeable destinies of
instinct. Nature probably delights less in producing such
animated machines than we are apt to suppose; and amidst
the mutability of circumstances by which almost every animated
XXXVI INTRODUCTION.
being is surrounded, there seems to be a frequent demand for
that relieving invention denied to those animals which are
solely governed by inflexible instinct.
The velocity with which birds are able to travel in their
aérial element has no parallel among terrestrial animals ; and
this powerful capacity for progressive motion is bestowed in
aid of their peculiar wants and instinctive habits. The swiftest
horse may perhaps proceed a mile in something less than two
minutes ; but such exertion is unnatural, and quickly fatal. An
Eagle, whose stretch of wing exceeds seven feet, with ease and
majesty, and without any extraordinary effort, rises out of sight
in less than three minutes, and therefore must fly more than
three thousand five hundred yards in a minute, or at the rate
of sixty milesinan hour. At this speed a bird would easily per-
form a journey of six hundred miles in a day, since ten hours
only would be required, which would allow frequent halts, and
the whole of the night forrepose. Swallows and other migra-
tory birds might therefore pass from northern Europe to the
equator in seven or eight days. In fact, Adanson saw, on the
coast of Senegal, Swallows that had arrived there on the gth of
October, or eight or nine days after their departure from the
colder continent. A Canary Falcon, sent to the Duke of Lerma,
returned in sixteen hours from Andalusia to the island of Tene-
riffe, — a distance of seven hundred and fifty miles. The Gulls
of Barbadoes, according to Sir Hans Sloane, make excursions in
flocks to the distance of more than two hundred miles after
their food, and then return the same day to their rocky roosts.
If we allow that any natural powers come in aid of the
instinct to migration, so powerful and uniform in birds, besides
their vast capacity for motion, it must be in the perfection and
delicacy of their vision, of which we have such striking ex-
amples in the rapacious tribes. It is possible that at times
they may be directed principally by atmospheric phenomena
alone ; and hence we find that their appearance is frequently
a concomitant of the approaching season, and the wild Petrel
of the ocean is not the only harbinger of storm and coming
change. The currents of the air, in those which make exten-
INTRODUCTION. XXXVil
sive voyages, are sedulously employed ; and hence, at certain
seasons, when they are usually in motion, we find their arrival
or departure accelerated by a favorable direction of the winds.
That birds also should be able to derive advantage in their
journeys from the acuteness of their vision, is not more wonder-
ful than the capacity of a dog to discover the path of his
master, for many miles in succession, by the mere scent of his
steps. It is said, indeed, in corroboration of this conjecture,
that the Passenger, or Carrying Pigeon, is not certain to return
to the place from whence it is brought, unless it be conveyed
in an open wicker basket admitting a view of the passing
scenery. Many of our birds, however, follow instinctively the
great valleys and river-courses, which tend towards their
southern or warmer destination; thus the great valleys of
the Connecticut, the Hudson, the Delaware, the Susquehanna,
the Santee, and more particularly the vast Mississippi, are often,
in part, the leading routes of our migrating birds. But, in fact,
mysterious as is the voyage and departure of our birds, like
those of all other countries where they remove at all, the des-
tination of many is rendered certain, as soon as we visit the
southern parts of the Union, or the adjoining countries of Mex-
ico, to which they have retired for the winter ; for now, where
they were nearly or wholly unknown in summer, they throng
by thousands, and flit before our path like the showering leaves
of autumn. It is curious to observe the pertinacity of this
adventurous instinct in those more truly and exclusively insec-
tivorous species which wholly leave us for the mild and genial
regions of the tropics. Many penetrate to their destination
through Mexico overland; to these the whole journey is
merely an amusing and varied feast. But to a much smaller
number, who keep too far toward the sea-coast, and enter the
ocean-bound peninsula of Florida, a more arduous aerial voy-
age is presented; the wide ocean must be crossed, by the
young and inexperienced as well as the old and venturous,
before they arrive either at the tropical continent or its scat-
tered islands. When the wind proves propitious, however,
our little voyagers wing their unerring way like prosperous
XxXxvili INTRODUCTION.
fairies; but baffled by storms and contrary gales, they often
suffer from want, and at times, like the Quails, become victims
to the devouring waves. On such unfortunate occasions (as
Mr. Bullock! witnessed in a voyage near to Vera Cruz late in
autumn), the famished travellers familiarly crowd the decks of
the vessel, in the hope of obtaining rest and a scanty meal
preparatory to the conclusion of their unpropitious flight.
Superficial observers, substituting their own ideas for facts,
are ready to conclude, and frequently assert, that the old and
young, before leaving, assemble together for mutual departure ;
this may be true in many instances, but in as many more a
different arrangement obtains. The young, often instinctively
vagrant, herd together in separate flocks previous to their
departure, and guided alone by the innate monition of Nature,
seek neither the aid nor the company of the old ; consequently
in some countries flocks of young of particular species are alone
observed, and in others, far distant, we recognize the old.
From parental aid the juvenile company have obtained all that
Nature intended to bestow,— existence and education; and
they are now thrown upon the world among their numerous
companions, with no other necessary guide than self-preserving
instinct. In Europe it appears that these bands of the young
always affect even a warmer climate than the old; the aération
of their blood not being yet complete, they are more sensible
to the rigors of cold. The season of the year has also its effect
on the movements of birds; thus certain species proceed to
their northern destination more to the eastward in the spring,
and return from it to the south-westward in autumn.
The habitudes and extent of the migrations of birds admit
of considerable variety. Some only fly before the inundating
storms of winter, and return with the first dawn of spring ;
these do not leave the continent, and only migrate in quest of
food when it actually begins to fail. Among these may be
named our common Song Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Blue-
bird, Robin, Pewee, Cedar Bird, Blackbird, Meadow Lark, and
many more. Others pass into warmer climates in the autumn,
1 Travels in Mexico,
INTRODUCTION, XXXIX
after rearing their young. Some are so given to wandering
that their choice of a country is only regulated by the resources
which it offers for subsistence ; such are the Pigeons, Herons
of several kinds, Snipes, wild Geese and Ducks, the wandering
Albatros, and Waxen Chatterer.
The greater number of birds travel in the night; some
species, however, proceed only by day, as the diurnal birds of
prey, — Crows, Pies, Wrens, Creepers, Cross-bills, Larks, Blue-
birds, Swallows, and some others. Those which travel wholly
in the night are the Owls, Butcher Birds, Kingfishers, Thrushes,
Flycatchers, Night Hawks, Whip-poor-wills, and also a great
numbér of aquatic birds, whose motions are also principally
nocturnal, except in the cold and desolate northern regions,
where they usually retire to breed. Other birds are so pow-
erfully impelled by this governing motive to migration that
they stop neither day nor night; such are the Herons, Mota-
cillas, Plovers, Swans, Cranes, Wild Geese, Storks, etc. When
untoward circumstances render haste necessary, certain kinds
of birds, which ordinarily travel only in the night, continue
their route during the day, and scarcely allow themselves time
to eat; yet the singing-birds, properly so called, never migrate
by day, whatever may happen to them. And it may here be
inquired, with astonishment, how these feeble but enthusiastic
animals are able to pass the time, thus engaged, without the
aid of recruiting sleep? But so powerful is this necessity for
travel that its incentive breaks out equally in those which are
detained in captivity, —so much so that although during the
day they are no more alert than usual, and only occupied
in taking nourishment, at the approach of night, far from seek-
ing repose, as usual, they manifest great agitation, sing without
ceasing in the cage, whether the apartment is lighted or not ;
and when the moon shines, they appear still more restless, as it
is their custom, at liberty, to seek the advantage of its light
for facilitating their route. Some birds, while engaged in their
journey, still find means to live without halting, — the Swallow,
while traversing the sea, pursues its insect prey; those who
can subsist on fish without any serious effort, feed as they pass
xl INTRODUCTION.
or graze the surface of the deep. If the Wien, the Creeper,
and the Titmouse rest for an instant on a tree to snatch a hasty
morsel, in the next they are on the wing, to fulfil their destina-
tion. However abundant may be the nourishment which
presents itself to supply their wants, in general, birds of passage
rarely remain more than two days together in a place.
The cries of many birds, while engaged in their aérial voy-
age, are such as are only heard on this important occasion, and
appear recessary for the direction of those which fly in assem-
bled ranks.
During these migrations it has been observed that birds
fly ordinarily in the higher regions of the air, except when
fogs force them to seek a lower elevation. This habit is
particularly prevalent with Wild Geese, Storks, Cranes, and
Herons, which often pass at such a height as to be scarcely
distinguishable.
We shall not here enter into any detailed description of the
manner in which each species conducts its migration, but
shall content ourselves with citing the single remarkable exam-
ple of the motions of the Cranes. Of all migrating birds, these
appear to be endowed with the greatest share of foresight.
They never undertake the journey alone; throughout a circle
of several miles they appear to communicate the intention
of commencing their route. Several days previous to their
departure they call upon each other by a peculiar cry, as if
giving warning to assemble at a central point; the favorable
moment being at length arrived, they betake themselves to
flight, and, in military style, fall into two lines, which, uniting
at the summit, form an extended angle with two equal sides.
At the central point of the phalanx, the chief takes his station,
to whom the whole troop, by their subordination, appear to
have pledged their obedience. The commander has’not only
the painful task of breaking the path through the air, but he
has also the charge of watching for the common safety; to
avoid the attacks of birds of prey; to range the two lines in a
circle at the approach of a tempest, in order to resist with
more effect the squalls which menace the dispersion of the
INTRODUCTION. xli
linear ranks ; and, lastly, it is to their leader that the fatigued
company look up to appoint the most convenient places for
nourishment and repose. Still, important as is the station and
function of the aérial director, its existence is but momentary.
As soon as he feels sensible of fatigue, he cedes his place to
the next in the file, and retires himself to its extremity. Dur-
ing the night their flight is attended with considerable noise ;
the loud cries which we hear, seem to be the marching orders
of the chief, answered by the ranks who follow his commands.
. Wild Geese and several kinds of Ducks also make their aérial
voyage nearly in the same manner as the Cranes. The loud
call of the passing Geese, as they soar securely through the
higher regions of the air, is familiar to all; but as an additiona
proof of their sagacity and caution, we may remark that when
fogs in the atmosphere render their flight necessarily low, they’
steal along in silence, as if aware of the danger to which their
lower path now exposes them.
The direction of the winds is of great importance to the
migration of birds, not only as an assistance when favorable,
but to be avoided when contrary, as the most disastrous of
accidents, when they are traversing the ocean. If the breeze
suddenly change, the aérial voyagers tack to meet it, and di-
verging from their original course, seek the asylum of some
land or island, as is the case very frequently with the Quails,
who consequently, in their passage across the Mediterranean,
at variable times, make a descent in immense numbers on the
islands of the Archipelago, where they wait, sometimes for
weeks, the arrival of a propitious gale to terminate their jour-
ney. And hence we perceive the object of migrating birds,
when they alight upon a vessel at sea: it has fallen in their
course while seeking refuge from a baffling breeze or over-
whelming storm, and after a few hours of rest they wing their
way to their previous destination. ‘That Nature has provided
ample means to fulfil the wonderful instinct of these feeble but
cautious wanderers, appears in every part of their economy.
As the period approaches for their general departure, and the
chills of autumn are felt, their bodies begin to be loaded with
xlii INTRODUCTION.
cellular matter, and at rio season of the year are the true birds
of passage so fat as at the approach of their migration. The
Gulls, Cranes, and Herons, almost proverbially macilent, are at
this season loaded with this reservoir of nutriment, which is
intended to administer to their support through their arduous
and hazardous voyage. With this natural provision, dormant
animals also commence their long and dreary sleep through
the winter, —a nutritious resource no less necessary in birds
while engaged in fulfilling the powerful and waking reveries of
instinct.
But if the act of migration surprise us when performed by
birds of active power of wing, it is still more remarkable when
undertaken by those of short and laborious flight, like the
Coots and Rails, who, in fact, perform a part of their route on
‘foot. The Great Penguin (Aca impennis), the Guillemot, and
the Divers, even make their voyage chiefly by dint of swim-
ming. The young Loons (Colyméus glacialis), bred in inland
ponds, though proverbially lame (and hence the name of Lom,
or Loon), without recourse to their wings, which are at this
time inefficient, continue their route from pond to pond,
floundering over the intervening land by night, until at length
they gain some creek of the sea, and finally complete their
necessary migration by water. :
Birds of passage, both in the old and new continents, are
observed generally to migrate southwest in autumn, and to
pass to the northeast in spring. Parry, however, it seems, ob-
served the birds of Greenland proceed to the southeast. This
apparent aberration from the usual course may be accounted
for by considering the habits of these aquatic birds. Intent on
food and shelter, a part, bending their course over the cold
regions of Norway and Russia, seek the shores of Europe ;
while another division, equally considerable, proceeding south-
west, spread themselves over the interior of the United States
and the coast and kingdom of Mexico.
This propensity to change their climate, induced by what-
ever cause, is not confined to the birds of temperate regions ;
it likewise exists among many of those who inhabit the tropics.
INTRODUCTION. xiii
Aquatic birds of several kinds, according to Humboldt, cross
the line on either side about the time of the periodical rise of
the rivers. Waterton, likewise, who spent much time in Dem-
erara and the neighboring countries, observed that the visits of
many of the tropical birds were periodical. Thus the wonder-
ful Campanero, whose solemn voice is heard at intervals tolling
like the convent-bell, was rare to Watérton, but frequent in
Brazil, where it most probably retires to breed. ‘The failure
of particular food at any season, in the mildest climate, would
be a sufficient incentive to a partial and overland migration
with any species of the feathered race.
The longevity of birds is various, and, different from the
case of man and quadrupeds, seems to bear but little propor-
tion to the age at which they acquire maturity of character. A
few months seems sufficient to bring the bird into full posses-
sion of all its native powers ; and there are some, as our Marsh
Titmouse or Chickadee, which, in fact, as soon as fledged, are
no longer to be distinguished from their parents. Land ani-
mals generally live six or seven times as long as the period
required to attain maturity ; but in birds the rate is ten times
greater. In proportion to their size, they are also far more
vivacious and long-lived than other animals of the superior
class. Our knowledge of the longevity of birds is, however,
necessarily limited to the few examples of domesticated species
which we have been able to support through life: the result of
these examples is, that our domestic Fowls have lived twenty
years; Pigeons have exceeded that period; Parrots have at-
tained more than thirty years. Geese live probably more than
half a century ; a Pelican has lived to eighty years ; and Swans,
Ravens, and Eagles have exceeded a century. Even Linnets,
in the unnatural restraints of the cage, have survived for four-
teen or fifteen years, and Canaries twenty-five. To account for
this remarkable tenacity of life, nothing very satisfactory has
been offered ; though Buffon is of opinion that the soft and
porous nature of their bones contributes to this end, as the
general ossification and rigidity of the system perpetually tends
to abridge the boundaries of life.
xliv INTRODUCTION.
In a general way it may be considered as essential for the
bird to fly as it is for the fish to swim or the quadruped to
walk ; yet in all these tribes there are exceptions to the general
habits. Thus among quadrupeds the bats fly, the seals swim,
and the beaver and otter swim better than they.can walk. So
also among birds, the Ostrich, Cassowary, and some others,
incapable of flying, are obliged to walk ; others, as the Dippers,
fly and swim but never walk. Some, like the Swallows and
Humming Birds, pass their time chiefly on the wing. A far
greater number of birds live on the water than of quadrupeds,
for of the latter there are not more than five or six kinds fur-
nished with webbed or oar-like feet, whereas of birds with this
structure there are several hundred. The lightness of their
feathers and bones, as well as the boat-like form of their bodies,
contributes greatly to facilitate their buoyancy and progress in
the water, and their feet serve as oars to propel them.
Thus in whatever way we view the feathered tribes which
surround us, we shall find much both to amuse and instruct.
We hearken to their songs with renewed delight, as the harbin-
gers and associates of the season they accompany. Their
return, after a long absence, is hailed with gratitude to the
Author of all existence; and the cheerless solitude of inani-
mate Nature is, by their presence, attuned to life and harmony.
Nor do they alone administer to the amusement and luxury of
life ; faithful aids as well as messengers of the seasons, they
associate round our tenements, and defend the various produc-
tions of the earth, on which we so much rely for subsisterice,
from the destructive depredations of myriads of insects, which,
but for timely riddance by unnumbered birds, would be fol-
lowed by a general failure and famine. Public economy and
utility, then, no less than humanity, plead for the protection of
the feathered race; and the wanton destruction of birds, so
useful, beautiful, and amusing, if not treated as such by law,
ought to be considered as a crime by every moral, feeling, and
reflecting mind.
TURKEY VULTURE.
TURKEY BUZZARD.
CATHARTES AURA.
Cuar. Brownish black; head bare of feathers and bright red; bill
white; length about 2 feet.
Vest. Ina stump, or cavity among rocks, without additional material.
Legs, 2; white, or with a tinge of green or yellow, spotted with brown
and purple; 2.75 X 1.90.
This common Turkey-like Vulture is found abundantly in
both North and South America, but seems wholly to avoid the
' Northeastern or New England States, a straggler being seldom
seen as far as the latitude of 41°. Whether this limit arises
from some local antipathy, their dislike of the cold eastern
storms which prevail in the spring till the time they usually
VOL. I, —I
2 BIRDS OF PREY.
breed, or some other cause, it is not easily assignable ; and the
fact is still more remarkable, as they have been observed in the
‘interior by Mr. Say as far as Pembino, in the 49th degree
of north latitude, by Lewis and Clarke near the Falls of the
Oregon, and they are not uncommon throughout that territory.
They are, however, much more abundant in the warmer than
in the colder regions, and are found beyond the equator, even
as far or farther than the La Plata. All the West India islands
are inhabited by them, as well as the tropical continent, where,
as in the Southern States of the Union, they are commonly
protected for their services as scavengers of carrion, which
would prove highly deleterious in those warm and humid cli-
mates. In the winter they generally seek out warmth and
shelter, hovering often like grim and boding spectres in the
suburbs, and on the roofs and chimneys of the houses, around
the cities of the Southern States. A few brave the winters of
Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, but the greater part
migrate south at the approach of cold weather.
The Turkey Buzzard has not been known to breed north of
New Jersey in any of the Atlantic States. Here they seek out
the swampy solitudes, and, without forming any nest, deposit
two eggs in the stump of a hollow tree or log, on the mere
fragments of rotten wood with which it is ordinarily strewed.
Occasionally, in the Southern States, they have been known to
make choice of the ruined chimney of a deserted house for
this purpose. The eggs are larger than those of a Turkey, of
a yellowish white, irregularly blotched with dark brown and
blackish spots, chiefly at the larger end. The male often at-
tends while the female is sitting; and if not materially dis-
turbed, they will continue to occupy the same place for several
years in succession.
The young are covered with a whitish down, and, in common
with the habit of the old birds, will often eject, upon those who
happen to molest them, the filthy contents of their stomachs.
In the cities of the South they appear to be somewhat grega-
rious, and as if aware of the protection afforded them, pre-
sent themselves often in the streets, and particularly near the
TURKEY VULTURE. 3
shambles. They also watch the emptying of the scavengers’
carts in the suburbs, where, in company with the still more
domestic Black Vultures, they search out their favorite morsels
amidst dust, filth, and rubbish of all descriptions. Bits of
cheese, of meat, fish, or anything sufficiently foetid, and easy of
digestion, is greedily sought after, and eagerly eyed. When
the opportunity offers they eat with gluttonous voracity, and
fill themselves in such a manner as to be sometimes incapa-
ble of rising from the ground. ‘They are accused at times
of attacking young pigs and lambs, beginning their assault by
picking out the eyes. Mr. Waterton, however, while at Dem-
erara watched them for hours together amidst reptiles of all
descriptions, but they never made any attack upon them. He
even killed lizards and frogs and put them in their way, but
they did not appear to notice them until they attained the
putrid scent. So that a more harmless animal, living at all
upon flesh, is not in existence, than the Turkey Vulture.
At night they roost in the neighboring trees, but, I believe,
seldom in flocks like the Black kind. In winter they some-
times pass the night in numbers on the roofs of the houses in
the suburbs of the Southern cities, and appear particularly
desirous of taking advantage of the warmth which they dis-
cover to issue from the chimneys. Here, when the sun shines,
they and their black relatives, though no wise social, may be
observed perched in these conspicuous places basking in the
feeble rays, and stretching out their dark wings to admit the
warmth directly to their chilled bodies. And when not en-
gaged in acts of necessity, they amuse themselves on fine clear
days, even at the coolest season of the year, by soaring, in
companies, slowly and majestically into the higher regions of
the atmosphere ; rising gently, but rapidly, in vast spiral circles,
they sometimes disappear beyond the thinnest clouds. They
practise this lofty flight particularly before the commencement
of thunder-storms, when, elevated above the war of elements,
they float at ease in the ethereal space with outstretched wings,
making no other apparent effort than the light balloon, only
now and then steadying their sailing pinions as they spread
4 BIRDS OF PREY.
them to the fanning breeze, and become abandoned to its
accidental sports. In South America, according to Humboldt,
they soar even in company with the Condor in his highest
flights, rising above the summits of the tropical Andes.
Examples of this species still wander occasionally to New Eng-
land and to Grand Menan, and in 1887 Mr. Philip Cox reported
the capture of two near the mouth of the Miramichi River, on the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, in latitude 47°. It occurs regularly on the
St. Clair Flats, in Ontario.
The Vultures are not classed as the first of birds by the syste
matists of the present day. Now the singing-birds — the Oscines —
ar considered the most highly developed, and of these the Thrush
family is given highest rank. The Vultures are classed as the
lowe-t of the birds of prey; and this entire order has been moved
down below the Swifts and the Woodpeckers.
BLACK VULTURE.
CARRION CROW.
CATHARISTA ATRATA.
CuHar. Dull black; head dusky and partially covered above with
feathers. Length about 2 feet.
Vest. On the ground screened by bushes, or ina stump. (No attempt
is made to build a nest or even to lay a cushion for the eggs.)
‘Eggs. 1-3 (usually 2); bluish white, marked with several shades of
brown; 3.10 X 2.05.
This smaller, black, and truly gregarious species of Vulture
in the United States appears to be generally confined to the
Southern States, and seems to be most numerous and familiar
in the large maritime towns of North and South Carolina,
Georgia, and Florida. They are also met with in several of
the Western States, and as far up the Ohio as Cincinnati. In
the tropical regions of America they are also very common,
and extend at least as far as Chili. Like the former species,
with which they associate only at meal-times, they are tacitly
allowed a public protection for the service they render in rid-
ding the earth of carrion and other kinds of filth. They are
BLACK VULTURE. 5
much more familiar in the towns than the preceding, delight-
ing, during winter, to remain on the roofs of houses, catching
the feeble rays of the sun, and stretching out their wings to ad-
mit the warm air over their foetid bodies. When the weather
becomes unusually chilly, or in the mornings, they may be
seen basking upon the chimneys in the warm smoke, which,
as well as the soot itself, can add no additional darkness or
impurity to such filthy and melancholy spectres. Here, or on
the limbs of some of the larger trees, they remain in listless
indolence till aroused by the calls of hunger.
Their flight is neither so easy nor so graceful as that of the
Turkey Buzzard. They flap their wings and then soar hori-
zontally, renewing the motion of their pinions at short inter-
vals. At times, however, they rise to considerable elevations.
In the cities of Charleston and Savannah they are to be seen in
numbers walking the streets with all the familiarity of domestic
Fowls, examining the channels and accumulations of filth in
order to glean up the offal or animal matter of any kind
which may happen to be thrown out. They appeared to be
very regular in their attendance around the shambles, and
some of them become known by sight. This was particularly
the case with an old veteran who hopped upon one foot
(having by some accident lost the other), and had regularly
appeared round the shambles to claim the bounty of the
butchers for about twenty years. In the country, where I have
surprised them feeding in the woods, they appeared rather shy
and timorous, watching my movements alertly like Hawks;
and every now and then one or two of them, as they sat in
the high boughs of a neighboring oak, communicated to the
rest, as I slowly approached, a low bark of alarm, or waugh,
something like the suppressed growl of a puppy, at which the
whole flock by degrees deserted the dead hog upon which
they happened to be feeding. Sometimes they will collect
together about one carcase to the number of two hundred
and upwards; and the object, whatever it may be, is soon
robed in living mourning, scarcely anything being visible but
a dense mass of these sable scavengers, who may often be
4
6 BIRDS OF PREY.
seen jealously contending with each other, both in and out of
the carcase, defiled with blood and filth, holding on with their
feet, hissing and clawing each other, or tearing off morsels so
as to fill their throats nearly to choking, and occasionally
joined by growling dogs, — the whole presenting one of the
most savage and disgusting scenes in nature, and truly worthy
the infernal bird of Prometheus.
This species is very rarely seen north of the Carolinas, though
a few examples have been taken in New England and at Grand
Menan.
AUDUBON’S CARACARA.,
CARACARA EAGLE. KING BUZZARD.
POLYBORUS CHERIWAY.
CHar. General color brownish black; fore part of back and breast
barred with white ; tail white, with bars of black. Length 20} to 25 inches.
Nest. On a low tree or bush ; made of sticks and leaves.
Eggs. 2-4 (usually 2); brownish white or pale brown, blotched with
deeper brown; 2.30 X 1.75.
This very remarkable and fine bird was first met with by Mr.
Audubon near St. Augustine, in East Florida. He afterwards
also found it on Galveston Island, in Texas. From its general
habits and graceful, sweeping flight, it was for some time mis-
taken for a Hawk. Though common in many parts of South
America, it is within the limits of the United States merely an
accidental visitor. It is said, however, to breed in Florida, in
the highest branches of tall trees in the pine-barrens, making
a rough nest of sticks like a Hawk. In Texas it breeds, accord-
ing to Audubon, in the tops of bushes.
Since Nuttall wrote, the Caracara has been found in numbers
in parts of Florida, and it is not uncommon in Texas, southern
Arizona, and Lower California.
#
WHITE GYRFALCON.
FALCO ISLANDUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color white, often immaculate, but usually with
dark markings. Legs partially feathered. A sharp tooth near point of
upper mandible; the end of under mandible notched. Length 21 to 24
inches.
Nest. Usually on a cliff; roughly made of sticks, — large dry twigs.
£ges. 3-4; buff or brownish, marked with reddish brown; 2.25
X 1.25.
GRAY GYRFALCON.
FALCO RUSTICOLUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color dull gray, with whitish and slaty-blue bands
and spots; sometimes white prevails; thighs usually barred
8 BIRDS OF PREY.
GYRFALCON.
FALcO RUSTICOLUS GYRFALCO.
Cuar. Upper parts dull brownish (dusky), with bars of bluish gray
lower parts white, or mostly white marked with dusky; thighs heavily
barred.
BLACK GYRFALCON.
FaLcO RUSTICOLUS OBSOLETUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color brownish black; usually barred with lighter
tints, but sometimes the bars are indistinct.
This elegant and celebrated Falcon is about two feet in
length ; the female two or three inches longer. They particu:
larly abound in Iceland, and are found also throughout Siberia,
and the North of Europe as far as Greenland; Mr. Hutchins,
according to Pennant, saw them commonly about Fort Albany,
at Hudson’s Bay. Occasionally a pair is also seen in this
vicinity in the depth of winter. They brave the coldest cli-
mates, for which they have such a predilection as seldom to
\eave the Arctic regions ; the younger birds are commonly seen
in the North of Germany, but very rarely the old, which are
readily distinguished by the superior whiteness of their plumage,
which augments with age, and by the increasing narrowness
of the transverse stripes that ornament the upper parts of the
body. The finest of these Falcons were caught in Iceland by
means of baited nets. The bait was commonly a Ptarmigan,
Pigeon, or common Fowl; and such was the velocity and
power of his pounce that he commonly severed the head
from the baited bird as nicely as if it had been done by a
razor. These birds were reserved for the kings of Denmark,
and from thence they were formerly transported into Ger-
many, and even Turkey and Persia. The taste for the amuse-
ment of falconry was once very prevalent throughout Europe,
and continued for several centuries; but at this time it has
almost wholly subsided. The Tartars, and Asiatics gener-
ally, were also equally addicted to this amusement. A Sir
DUCK HAWK. 9
Thomas Monson, no later than the reign of James the First,
is said to have given a thousand pounds for a cast of Hawks.
Next to the Eagle, this bird is the most formidable, active,
and intrepid, and was held in the highest esteem for falconry.
It boldly attacks the largest of birds; the Swan, Goose, Stork,
Heron, and Crane are to it easy victims. In its native regions
it lives much on the hare and Ptarmigan ; upon these it darts
with astonishing velocity, and often seizes its prey by pouncing
upon it almost perpendicularly. It breeds in the cold and
desert regions where it usually dwells, fixing its nests amidst
the most lofty and inaccessible rocks.
Nuttall treated the four forms as one, while I follow the A. O. U.
in separating them; though I do not think that the present classifi-
cation will be retained. The accessible material is very limited,
but it appears to indicate that there is but one species with two,
or possibly three, geographical races. The nests and eggs and
the habits are similar, the difference being entirely that of plu-
mage, — the prevalence of the dark or white color.
The White breeds chiefly in North Greenland and along the bor-
ders of the Arctic Ocean; the Gray breeds in South Greenland ; the
‘Black is restricted to Labrador; and the habitat of gyvfalco is given
as “interior of Arctic America from Hudson’s Bay to Alaska.”
Specimens of all four have been taken south of latitude 45°, and
a few of the Black have been taken, in winter, as far south as
southern New England and New York.
Nore. — A few examples of the PRAIRIE FALcon (Falco mexi-
canus) have accidentally wandered to the prairie districts of
Illinois.
DUCK HAWK.
PEREGRINE FALCON. GREAT-FOOTED HAWK.
FALCO PEREGRINUS ANATUM.
Cuar. Above, bluish ash or brownish black, the edges of the feathers
paler; below, ashy or dull tawny, with bars or streaks of brownish; a
black patch on the cheeks. Bill of bluish color, and toothed and notched,
as in all true Falcons; cere yellow. Wing long, thin, and pointed
Length 17 to 19 inches.
fe) BIRDS OF PREY.
Mest. On tree or cliff; a loosely arranged platform of dry sticks,
sometimes partially lined with grass, leaves, or moss.
Eggs. 2-4; reddish brown — sometimes of bright tint— marked with
dull red and rich brown; 2.10 X 1.60.
The celebrated, powerful, and princely Falcon is common
both to the continent of Europe and America. In the former
they are chiefly found in mountainous regions, and make their
nests in the most inaccessible clefts of rocks, and very rarely
in trees, laying 3 or 4 eggs of a reddish-yellow, with brown
spots. In Europe they seldom descend to the plains, and
avoid marshy countries. The period of incubation lasts but
a short time, and commences in winter, or very early in the
spring, so that the young acquire their full growth by the
middle of May. They are supposed to breed in the tall trees
of the desolate cedar swamps in New Jersey. Audubon, how-
ever, found them nesting on shelving rocks on the shores of
Labrador and Newfoundland, laying from 2 to 5 eggs of a
rusty yellowish brown, spotted and blotched with darker tints
of the same color. They also breed on shelving rocks in the
Rocky Mountains, where Mr. Townsend obtained a specimen
on Big Sandy River of the Colorado of the West in the month
of July. When the young have attained their growth, the
parents drive thern from their haunts, with incessant and
piercing screams and complaints, — an unnatural propensity
which nothing but dire necessity, the difficulty of acquiring
sustenance, can palliate.
In strength and temerity the Falcon is not exceeded by
any bird of its size. He soars with easy and graceful motions
amidst the clouds or clear azure of the sky; from this lofty
elevation he selects his victim from among the larger birds, —
Grouse, Pheasants, Pigeons, Ducks, or Geese. Without being
perceived, he swiftly descends, as if falling from the clouds in
a perpendicular line, and carries terror and destruction into
the timid ranks of his prey. Instead of flying before their
relentless enemy, the Partridge and Pheasant run and closely
hide in the grass, the Pigeons glance aside to avoid the fatal
blow which is but too sure in its aim, and the Water Fowls seek
PIGEON HAWK. TI
a more certain refuge in diving beneath their yielding element.
If the prey be not too large, the Falcon mounts into the air,
bearing it off in his talons, and then alights to gorge himself
with his booty at leisure. Sometimes he attacks the Kite,
another fellow-plunderer, either in wanton insult, or more
probably to rob him of his quarry.
The Peregrine is very generally distributed throughout America,
but excepting on the Atlantic coast of Labrador, and possibly on
Newfoundland, it is nowhere common in this faunal province. It
is a winter visitor chiefly in Ohio and southern Ontario, but it is
known to breed on isolated cliffs in the Maritime Provinces and the
New England States, and it is said that nests have been found in
Pennsylvania and Maryland. The report of its building in a swamp
in New Jersey has not been confirmed.
PIGEON HAWK.
FaLcO COLUMBARIUS.
Cuar. Generally the prevailing color, above, is blackish brown, though
the older birds assume a dull tint approaching bluish gray; wings, back,
and tail streaked and barred with buffy or reddish brown. Tail tipped with
white ; the middle tail-feathers in male with four bands of blackish, and
in female about six pale bands. Below, dull, pale reddish brown, lighter
on breast and throat. Length 11 to 13 inches.
Nest. Usually on branches of trees, though found sometimes in cavi-
ties of dead trees and on cliffs; loosely built of twigs, and lined with grass
and leaves.
Eggs. 3-6; buffy or pale reddish-brown ground color, blotched with
dull red and brown; 1.30 x 1.55-
This species is.a little larger than the following, bu: by no
means so abundant; though met with in latitude forty-eight
degrees by Long’s Northwestern Expedition, and occasion-
ally extending its migrations from Texas to Hudson’s Bay, and
rearing its young in the interior of Canada. Its nest was also
observed by Audubon in Labrador in the low fir-trees, and con-
tained five eggs, laid about the rst of June. It is shy, skulk-
ing, and watchful, seldom venturing beyond the unreclaimed
forest, and flies rapidly, but, I believe, seldom soars or hovers.
12 f BIRDS OF PREY.
Small birds and mice constitute its principal food; and ac-
cording to Wilson, it follows often in the rear of the gregarious
birds, such as the Blackbirds and Reedbirds, as well as after
the flitting flocks of Pigeons and Robins, picking up the strag-
glers, the weak and unguarded, as its legitimate prey. Some-
times, when shot at without effect, it will fly in circles around
the gunner and utter impatient shrieks, — probably in appre-
hension for the safety of the mate, or to communicate a cry
of alarm.
The Pigeon Hawk is a common migrant through New England,
Ohio, and southern Ontario. It is always late in migrating, and a
few examples have been seen in Massachusetts in midwinter. It
breeds sparingly in the northern portions of New England, and the
Maritime Provinces of Canada. Its breeding area extends north
to the lower fur countries, and in winter it ranges to the Southern
States and South America.
NoTE. — One example of the European MERLIN (Falco regulus)
has been captured off the coast of Greenland.
AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK.
FALCO SPARVERIUS.
Cuar. Adult male: head bluish ash, with reddish patch on crown, and
black patch on sides and nape; back rufous ; wings bluish and black in
bars ; tail tawny, with black band, and tipped with white; below, buffish or
tawny. Female: rufous barred with black; underparts buffy streaked
with tawny ; tail tawny, with blackish bars. Length 10 inches.
Nest. Usually in cavities of trees, often in Woodpecker’s holes, some-
times in deserted nest of a Crow.
Zges. 5-7; buffish, occasionally white, blotched with dull red and
brown; 1.33 X 1.12.
This beautiful and singularly marked bird appears to reside
principally in the warmer parts of the United States. They are
particularly abundant in the winter throughout South Carolina,
Georgia, Alabama, and Florida, whither they assemble from
the remote interior of the Northern States, wandering in sum-
mer as far as the Rocky Mountains, and were even seen by
Dr. Richardson in the remote latitude of 53°; these appear,
however, to be only stragglers, nor do they seem at all to visit
14 BIRDS OF PREY.
the maritime districts of New England. As they were seen in
St. Domingo, by Veillot, abundantly in April and May, the
breeding-season, we may naturally conclude that this species
has a much greater predilection for the warm than the cold
climates. On the south side of the equator, even in Cayenne
and Paraguay, they are still found, in all of which countries
they probably breed.
According to the habits° of this tribe of rapacious birds
it appears that the nest is built in a hollow, shattered, or
decayed tree at a considerable elevation.
Its motions appear somewhat capricious; it occasionally
hovers with beating wings, reconnoitring for prey, and soon
impatiently darts off to a distance to renew the same ma-
neeuvre. In the winter, however, it is most commonly seen
perched on some dead branch, or on a pole or stalk in the
fields, often at a little distance from the ground, keeping up a
frequent jerking of the tail, and attentively watching for some
such humble game as mice, grasshoppers, or lizards. At this
time it is likewise so familiar as to enter the garden, orchard,
or premises near to the house, and shows but little alarm on
being approached. It is, however, by no means deficient in
courage, and, like the larger Falcons, often makes a fatal and
rapid sweep upon Sparrows or those small birds which are its
accustomed prey.
Instead of being a mere straggler outside the warmer portions of
the United States, as Nuttall appears to have considered this Fal-
con, it is quite common throughout most of the continent, and not
only breeds in New England, but occasionally winters there. It
breeds also throughout Canada, north to the lower fyr countries,
and during the cold weather ranges from New Jersey to the
Southern States.
NoTEe.— The CuBAN SPARROW Hawk (Falco domintcensis)
has been found in Florida; and two examples of the KESTREL
(Falco tinnunculus) have been captured on this side of the
Atlantic, — one off the coast of Greenland, and the other at Nan-
tasket, Mass., in 1887.
AY
MS
GOLDEN EAGLE.
AQUILA CHRYSAETOS.
Cuar. Dark brown, head and neck tawny brown; legs feathered to
the toes; in the young, tail whitish, with broad terminal band of black.
Nest. Ona tree, sometimes on a high cliff; loosely built of dry sticks,
lined with twigs, grass, moss, leaves, and feathers.
Eggs. 2-3 (usually 2); dull white or pale buff, spotted and blotched
more or less thickly with reddish brown and lavender ; 3.00 X 2.30.
This ancient monarch of the birds is found in all the cold
and temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, taking up
his abode by choice in the great forests and plains, and in wild,
desert, and mountainous regions. His eyry, commonly formed
of an extensive set of layers of large sticks, is uearly horizontal,
and occasionally extended between some rock and adjoining
16 BIRDS OF PREY.
tree, as was the one described by Willughby in the Peak of
Derbyshire. About thirty miles inland from the Mandan Fort
on the Missouri I once had occasion to observe the eyry of
this noble bird, which here consisted of but a slender lining of
sticks conveyed into a rocky chasm on the face of a lofty hill
rising out of the grassy, open plain. It contained one young
bird, nearly fledged, and almost of the color of the Gyrfalcon.
Near their rocky nests they are seen usually in pairs, at times
majestically soaring to a vast height and gazing on the sun,
towards which they ascend until they disappear from view.
From this sublime elevation they often select their devoted
prey, — sometimes a kid or a lamb from the sporting flock, or
the timid rabbit or hare crouched in the furrow or sheltered in
some bush. The largest birds are also frequently their victims ;
and in extreme want they will not refuse to join with the
alarmed Vulture in his cadaverous repast. After this gorging
meal the Eagle can, if necessary, fast for several days. ‘The
precarious nature of his’subsistence and the violence by which
it is constantly obtained seem to produce a moral effect on
the disposition of this rapacious bird: though in pairs, they are
never seen associated with their young; their offspring are
driven forth to lead the same unsocial, wandering life as their
unfeeling progenitors. This harsh and tyrannical disposition is
strongly displayed even when they lead a life of restraint and
confinement. The weaker bird is never willingly suffered to
eat a single morsel ; and though he may cower and quail under
the blow with the most abject submission, the same savage
deportment continues towards him as long as he exists. Those
which I have seen in confinement frequently uttered hoarse
and stridulous cries, sometimes almost barkings, accompanied
by vaporous breathings, strongly expressive of their ardent,
unquenchable, and savage appetites. Their fire-darting eyes,
lowering brows, flat foreheads, restless disposition, and terrific
plaints, together with their powerful natural weapons, seem to
assimilate them to the tiger rather than the timorous bird. Yet
it would appear that they may be rendered docile, as the Tar-
tars (according to Marco Polo in 1269) were said to train
GOLDEN EAGLE. 17
this species to the chase of hares, foxes, wolves, antelopes, and
other kinds of large game, in which it displayed all the docility
of the Falcon. The longevity of the Eagle is as remarkable as
its strength ; it is believed to subsist for a century, and is about
three years in gaining its complete growth and fixed plumage.
This bird was held in high estimation by the ancients on ac-
count of its extraordinary magnitude, courage, and sanguinary
habits. ‘The Romans chose it as an emblem for their imperial
standard ; and from its aspiring flight and majestic soaring it
was fabled to hold communication with heaven and to be the
favorite messenger of Jove. The Tartars have a particular
esteem for the feathers of the tail, with which they supersti-
tiously think to plume invincible arrows. It is no less the
venerated War-Lagle of our Northern and Western aborigines ;
and the caudal feathers are extremely valued for talismanic
head-dresses and as sacred decorations for the Pipe of Peace.
The Eagle appears to be more abundant around Hudson’s
Bay than in the United States; but they are not unfrequent in
the great plains of the Mississippi and Missouri, as appears
from the frequent use of the feathers by the natives. The
wilderness seems their favorite resort, and they neither crave
nor obtain any advantage from the society of man. Attached
to the mountains in which they are bred, it is a rare occurrence
to see the Eagle in this vicinity ; and, as with some other birds,
it would appear that the young only are found in the United
States, while the old remain in Labrador and the northern
regions. The lofty mountains of New Hampshire afford suit-
able situations for the eyry of the Eagle, over whose snow-clad
summits he is seen majestically soaring in solitude and gran-
deur. A young bird from this region, which I have seen in a
state of domestication, showed considerable docility. He had,
however, been brought up from the nest, in which he was found
in the month of August ; he appeared even playful, turning his
head about in a very antic manner, as if desirous to attract
attention, — still, his glance was quick and fiery. When birds
were given to him, he plumed them very clean before he began
his meal, and picked the subject to a perfect skeleton.
VOL. I. — 2
18 BIRDS OF PREY.
The ferocious and savage nature of the Eagle, in an unre-
claimed state, is sometimes displayed in a remarkable manner.
A peasant attempted to rob an eyry of this bird situated at the
Lake of Killarney: for this purpose he stripped and swam over
to the spot in the absence of the old birds; but on his return,
while yet up to the chin in water, the parents arrived, and
missing their young, instantly fell on the unfortunate plunderer
and killed him on the spot.
There are several well-authenticated instances of their carry-
ing off children to their nests. In 1737, in the parish of
Norderhougs, in Norway, a boy over two years old, on his way
from the cottage to his parents, at work in the fields at no great
distance, fell into the pounce of an Eagle, who flew off with
the child in their sight, and was seen no more. Anderson, in
his history of Iceland, says that in that island children of four
or five years of~age have occasionally been borne away by
Eagles ; and Ray relates that in one of the Orkneys a child of
a year old was seized in the talons of this ferocious bird and
carried about four miles to its nest, but the mother, knowing
the place of the eyry, followed the bird, and recovered her child
yet unhurt.
The Common, or Ring-tailed Eagle, is now found to be the
young of the Golden Eagle. These progressive changes have
been observed by Temminck on two living subjects which he
kept for several years.
The Golden Eagle is generally considered to be a rare bird in
New England and Canada, and, indeed, throughout the settled dis-
tricts everywhere ; though examples have been taken the continent
over, from Greenland to Mexico, and west to the Pacific.
BALD EAGLE.
WASHINGTON EAGLE.
HALLEETUS LEUCOCEPHALUS.
CuHar. Adult: blackish brown, paler on margin of feathers ; head and
tail white after third year; bill and feet yellow; legs bare of feathers.
Young: darker than the adult; no white on head or tail (or concealed by
contour feathers); bill and feet brownish.
Length 30 to 40 inches. (The young are larger than the adult birds,
and are very similar to the young of the Golden Eagle, though the latter
are easily distinguished by their feathered legs.)
Vest. On a high tree, usually in a crotch, seldom on a dead tree, some-
times on a cliff; made of dry sticks loosely arranged, and occasionally
weed-stems and coarse grass are added ; but there is rarely any attempt at
a lining.
Eggs. 2-3; white or pale buff; 2.90 X 2.25.
20 BIRDS OF PREY.
The Washington Eagle. —It is to the indefatigable Audu-
bon that we owe the distinct note and description of this noble
Eagle, which first drew his attention while voyaging far up the
Mississippi, in the month of February, 1814. At length he had
the satisfaction of discovering its eyry, in the high cliffs of Green
River, in Kentucky, near to its junction with the Ohio: two
young were discovered loudly hissing from a fissure in the
rocks, on the approach of the male, from whom they received
a fish, The female now also came, and with solicitous alarm
for the safety of her young, gave a loud scream, dropped the
food she had brought, and hovering over the molesting party,
kept up a growling and threatening cry by way of intimidation ;
and in fact, as our disappointed naturalist soon discovered, she
from this time forsook the spot, and found means to convey
away her young. The discoverer considers the species as rare,
— indeed, its principal residence appears to be in the northern
parts of the continent, particularly the rocky solitudes around
the Great Northwestern Lakes, where it can at all times col-
lect its finny prey and rear its young without the dread of man.
In the winter season, about January and February, as well as at
a later period of the spring, these birds are occasionally seen
in this vicinity (Cambridge, Mass.),—rendered perhaps bolder
and more familiar by want, as the prevalence of the ice and
cold at this season drives them to the necessity of wandering far-
ther than usual in search of food. At this early period Audubon
observed indications of the approach of the breeding-season.
They are sometimes seen contending in the air, so that one of
the antagonists will suddenly drop many feet downwards, as if
wounded or alarmed. My friend Dr. Hayward, of Boston, had
in his possession one of these fine, docile Eagles for a consid-
erable time ; but desirous of devoting it to the then Linnzan
Museum, he attempted to poison it by corrosive sublimate of
mercury: several times, however, doses even of two drams
were given: to it, concealed in fish, without producing any inju-
rious effect on its health.
The Washington Eagle, bold and vigorous, disdains the
Ppiratical habits of the Bald Eagle, and invariably obtains his
BALD EAGLE. 21
own sustenance without molesting the Osprey. ‘The circles he
describes in his flight are wider than those of the White-
headed Eagle ; he also flies nearer to the land or the surface
of the water ; and when about to dive for his prey, he descends
in circuitous, spiral rounds, as if to check the retreat of the
fish, on which he darts only when within the distance of a few
yards. When his prey is obtained, he flies out at a low eleva-
tion to a considerable distance to enjoy his repast at leisure.
The quantity of food consumed by this enormous bird is very
great, according to the account of those who have had them
in confinement. Mr. Audubon’s male bird weighed fourteen
and one half pounds avoirdupois. One in a small museum in
Philadelphia (according to the account of my friend Mr. C.
Pickering), also a male, weighed much more, — by which dif-
ference it would appear that they are capable of becoming
exceedingly fat ; for the length of this bird was about the same
as that of Audubon, — three feet six or seven inches. The
width, however, was only about seven feet, — agreeing pretty
nearly with a specimen now in the New England Museum.
The male of the Golden Eagle, the largest hitherto known, is
seldom more than three feet long.
That this bird is not the White-tailed Eagle (falco albi-
cilla), or its young, the Sea Eagle (/. ossifragus), is obvi-
ous from the difference in size alone, the male of that bird
being little over two feet four inches in length, or a little
less even than the Bald Eagle. The female of the Washing-
ton Eagle must, of course, be six or eight inches longer, —
which will give a bird of unparalleled magnitude amongst the
whole Eagle race. This measurement of the Sea Eagle is
obtained from Temminck’s “ Manual of Ornithology,”” who has
examined more than fifty individuals. At the same time I have
a suspicion that the Washington Eagle, notwithstanding this,
exists also in Europe; as the great Sea Eagle of Brisson is
described by this author as being three feet six inches in length
from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, and the stretch
of the wings about seven feet! These measurements also are
adopted by Buffon ; but the individuals were evidently in young
22 BIRDS OF PREY.
plumage, in which state, as described by Brisson, they again
approach the present species. Nor need it be considered as
surprising if two different species be confounded in the Sea
Eagle of Europe, as the recently established Imperial Eagle
had ever been confounded with the Golden. Another distin-
guishing trait of the Washington Eagle is in the length of the
tail, which is one and one half inches longer than the folded
wings. In the White-tailed species this part never extends
beyond the wings.
The White-headed or Bald Eagle. — This noble and daring
Eagle is found along the sea-coasts, lakes, and rivers through-
out the northern regions, being met with in Asia, Europe, and
America, where they extend to the shores of the Pacific, and
as far as the confines of California. In Behring’s Isle, Mack-
enzie’s River, and Greenland, they are not uncommon. But
while they are confined in the Old World to this cheerless re-
gion so constantly that only ‘wo instances are known of their
appearance in the centre of Europe, in the United States they
are most abundant in the milder latitudes, residing, breeding,
and rearing their young in all the intermediate space from
Nova Scotia or Labrador to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
The rocky coast of this part of New England (Massachusetts)
is, however, seldom tenanted by this species, though they are
occasionally seen in the spring and about the commencement
of winter. In the United States it is certain that they show a
decided predilection for the milder climates. It is probable
that in Europe they are deterred in their migrations by the
tyrannical persecution of the White-tailed Eagle (7. albicilla),
which abounds in that country, living also principally on fish,
and therefore selecting the same maritime situations as our
Eagle. In the United States he sways almost without control
the whole coast of the Atlantic, and has rendered the rival
Osprey his humble tributary, proscribing, in his. turn, the ap-
pearance of the Sea Eagle, which, if it exist at all with us, is
equally as rare as the present species appears to be in Europe.
Though on Behring’s Isle the Bald Eagle is said to nest on
BALD EAGLE. 23
cliffs, as the only secure situation that probably offers, in the
United States he usually selects, near the sea-coast, some lofty
pine or cypress tree for his eyry; this is built of large sticks,
several feet in length, forming a floor, within and over which
are laid sods of earth, hay, moss, dry reeds, sedge-grass, pine-
tops, and other coarse materials, piled after several incubations
to the height of 5 or 6 feet, and 4 or 5 feet in breadth. On
this almost level bed the female early in February deposits two
dull white eggs, one of which is said sometimes to be laid after
an interval so considerable that the young are hatched at dif-
ferent periods. Lawson, however, says that they breed sa
often as to commence laying again under their callow young,
whose warmth assists the hatching of the eggs. This eyry or
breeding-place continues to be perpetually occupied and re-
paired as long as the tree endures, — indeed their attachment
to particular places is so strong that after their habitation has
been demolished, by the destruction of the tree that supported
it, they have very contentedly taken possession of an adjoin-
ing one. Nor is the period of incubation the only time spent
in the nest by this species; it is a shelter and common habi-
tation at all times and seasons, being a home like the hut to
the savage, or the cottage to the peasant.
The helpless young, as might be supposed, are fed with
great attention, and supplied with such a superfluity of fish
and other matters that they often lie scattered around the
tree, producing the most putrid and noisome effluvia. The
young are at first clothed with a whitish down; they gradually
become gray, and continue of a brownish gray until the third
year, when the characteristic white of the head and tail be-
comes perfectly developed. As their food is abundant, the
young are not forcibly driven from the nest, but fed for some
time after they have left it. They are by no means shy or
timorous, will often permit a near approach, and sometimes
even bristle up their feathers in an attitude of daring de-
fence. Their cry is sonorous and lamentable, like that of the
Great Eagle, and when asleep they are said to make a very
audible snoring sound.
24 BIRDS OF PREY.
The principal food of the Bald Eagle is fish; and though he
possesses every requisite of alertness and keenness of vision
for securing his prey, it is seldom that he obtains it by any
other means than stratagem and rapine. For this habitual
daring purpose he is often seen perching upon the naked
limb of some lofty tree which commands an extensive view of
the ocean. In this attitude of expectation he heedlessly sur-
veys the active employment of the feathered throng, which
course along the wavy strand, or explore the watery deep with
beating wing, until from afar he attentively scans the motions
of his provider, the ample-winged and hovering Osprey. At
length the watery prey is espied, and the feathered fisher de-
scends like a falling rock; cleaving the wave, he now bears his
struggling victim from the deep, and mounting in the air,
utters an exulting scream. At this signal the Eagle pirate
gives chase to the fortunate fisher, and soaring above him, by
threatening attitudes obliges him to relinquish his prey; the
Eagle, now poising for a surer aim, descends like an arrow,
and snatching his booty before it arrives at the water, retires
to the woods to consume it at leisure. These perpetual dep-
redations on the industrious Osprey sometimes arouse him to
seek for vengeance, and several occasionally unite to banish
their tyrannical invader. When greatly pressed by hunger, the
Bald Eagle has sometimes been observed to attack the Vul-
ture in the air, obliging him to disgorge the carrion in his
craw, which he snatches up before it reaches the ground. He
is sometimes seen also to drive away the Vultures, and feed
voraciously on their carrion. Besides fish, he preys upon
Ducks, Geese, Gulls, and other sea-fowl; and when the re-
sources of the ocean diminish, or fail from -any cause, par-
ticularly on the southern migration of the Osprey, his inland
depredations are soon notorious, young lambs, pigs, fawns, and
even deer often becoming his prey. So indiscriminate in-
deed is the fierce appetite of this bold bird that instances are
credibly related of their carrying away infants. An attempt of
this kind, according to Wilson, was made upon a child lying
by its mother as she was weeding a garden at Great Egg:
oe
BALD EAGLE. 25
Harbor, in New Jersey; but the garment seized upon by the
Eagle giving way at the instant of the attempt, the life of the
child was spared. I have heard of another instance, said to
_have happened at Petersburgh, in Georgia, near the Savannah
River, where an infant, sleeping in the shade near the house,
was seized and carried to the eyry near the edge of a swamp
five miles distant, and when found, almost immediately, the
child was dead. ‘he story of the Eagle and child, in “The
History of the House of Stanley,” the origin of the crest of
that family, shows the credibility of the exploit, as supposed to
have been effected by the White-tailed Eagle, so nearly related
to the present. Indeed, about the year 1745 some Scotch
reapers, accompanied by the wife of one of them with an
infant, repaired to an island in Loch Lomond ; the mother laid
down her child in the shade at no great distance from her, and
while she was busily engaged in labor, an Eagle of this kind
suddenly darted upon the infant and immediately bore it away
to its rocky eyry on the summit of Ben Lomond. The alarm
of this shocking event was soon spread; and a considerable
party, hurrying to the rescue, fortunately succeeded in recover-
ing the child alive.
The Bald Eagle, like most of the large species, takes wide
circuits in its flight, and soars at great heights. In these sub-
lime attitudes he may often be seen hovering over waterfalls
and lofty cataracts, particularly that of the famous Niagara,
where he watches for the fate of those unfortunate fish and
other animals that are destroyed in the descent of the tumul-
tuous waters.
All ornithologists of the present day agree in the opinion that
Audubon’s “ Bird of Washington” was an immature Bald Eagle,
—the difference in size and coloration accounting for the error.
Nuttall, following Audubon, wrote of the two phases as of dis-
tinct species; for it was not until about 1870 that washingtoni was
dropped from the lists. I have given the two biographies as they
appeared in the original work, for together they form a good his-
tory of the bird’s distinctive habits. The difference in habits noted
is not due to difference of age, as might be supposed, but to the
different conditions under which the birds chanced to be observed.
26 BIRDS OF PREY.
I will tale this opportunity of protesting against the perpetua
tion of an idea, still current, which originated with the older writers,
concerning the “nobility” of the Fa/conide, under which family
name are grouped the Eagles, Falcons, Kites, and Hawks. They
were until quite recently classed among the first of the feathered
race ; but the systematists now place them below the Woodpeckers,
and next above the Grouse and Pigeons.
The majority of the Fa/conide have an attractive physique and
superior strength, as well as a haughty bearing. They are hand-
some, stalwart ruffians, but they are nothing more. They are
neither the most intelligent nor most enterprising of birds, nor the
bravest. They are not even the swiftest, or most dexterous on the
wing ; and in bearing, proudly as they carry themselves, are not
supreme.
It is now considered probable that the tales of Eagles carrying
off children are myths.
GRAY SEA EAGLE.
WHITE-TAILED EAGLE.
HALL£ETUS ALBICILLA.
Cuar. General color, grayish-brown (paler on margin of feathers);
head and neck gray, — paler in old birds; tail white; legs bare.
Length: male, 33 inches; female, 38 inches.
Nest. Ina tree or on a rock, sometimes on the ground; made of dry
sticks loosely arranged and often piled to considerable height.
£ggs. 1-3 (usually 2); dull white; 2.85 X 2.25.
Mr. Hagerup reports that this European bird breeds in southern
Greenland and is quite common there. It feeds principally on fish,
but will eat any kind of meat or carrion, being particularly partial
to water fowl, and is much more enterprising than is its congener,
the Bald Eagle.
——— >
AMERICAN OSPREY.
FISH HAWK.
PANDION HALIAETUS CAROLINENSIS.
Cuar. Above, dark brown; head and neck white, with dark stripe on
side of the head; tail grayish, with several narrow dark bars, and tipped
with white; under-parts white or buffish, sometimes (in female) streaked
with brown. Feet and claws large and strong. Hook of the bill long.
Length 21 to 25 inches.
Nest. Of loosely arranged sticks on top of high tree,— generally a
dead tree is selected; usually near water.
Leggs. 2+to4; variable in shape, color, size, and markings; ground
color generally whitish, with yellow or red tint, blotched with reddish
brown of various shades. Size about 2.50 X 1.75.
This large and well-known species, allied to the Eagles, is
found near fresh and salt water in almost every country in the
28 BIRDS OF PREY.
world. In summer it wanders into the Arctic regions of
Europe, Asia, and America; it is also equally prevalent in the
milder parts of both continents, as in Greece and Egypt. In
America it is found in the summer from Labrador, and the
interior around Hudson’s Bay, to Florida; and according to
Buffon, it extends its residence to the tropical regions of
Cayenne.
Its food being almost uniformly fish, it readily acquires sub-
sistence as long as the waters remain unfrozen; but at the
commencement of cool weather, even as early as the close of
September, or:at farthest the middle of October, these birds
leave New York and New Jersey and go farther south. This
early period of departure is, in all probability, like their arrival
towards the close of March, wholly regulated by the coming
and going of the shoals of fish on which they are accustomed
to feed. Towards the close of March or beginning of April
they arrive in the vicinity of Boston with the first shoal of
alewives or herrings ; but yet are seldom known to breed along
the coast of Massachusetts. Their arrival in the spring is wel-
comed by the fisherman as the sure indication of the approach
of those shoals of shad, herring, and other kinds of fish which
now begin to throng the bays, inlets, and rivers near the ocean ;
and the abundance with which the waters teem affords ample
sustenance for both the aérial and terrestrial fishers, as each
pursues in peace his favorite and necessary employment. In
short, the harmless industry of the Osprey, the familiarity with
which he rears his young around the farm, his unexpected
neutrality towards all the domestic animals near him, his sub-
limely picturesque flight and remarkable employment, with the
strong affection displayed towards his constant mate and long
helpless young, and the wrongs he hourly suffers from the
pirate Eagle, are circumstances sufficiently calculated, without
the aid of ready superstition, to ensure the public favor and
tolerance towards this welcome visitor. Driven to no harsh
necessities, like his superiors the Eagles, he leads a compar-
atively harmless life ; and though unjustly doomed to servitude,
his address and industry raise him greatly above his oppressor,
so that he supplies himself and his young with a plentiful
AMERICAN OSPREY. 29
sustenance. His docility and adroitness in catching fish have
also sometimes been employed by man for his advantage.
Intent on exploring the sea for his food, he leaves the nest
and proceeds directly to the scene of action, sailing round in
easy and wide circles, and turning at times as on a pivot, ap-
parently without exertion, while his long and curving wings
seem scarcely in motion. At the height of from one hundred
to two hundred feet he continues to survey the bosom of the
deep. Suddenly he checks his course and hovers in the air
with beating pinions; he then descends with rapidity, but the
wily victim has escaped. Now he courses near the surface, and
by a dodging descent, scarcely wetting his feet, he seizes a fish,
which he sometimes drops, or yields to the greedy Eagle ; but,
not discouraged, he again ascends in spiral sweeps to regain
the higher regions of the air and renew his survey of the watery
expanse. His prey again espied, he descends perpendicularly
like a falling plummet, plunging into the sea with a loud, rush-
ing noise and with an unerring aim. In an instant he emerges
with the struggling prey in his talons, shakes off the water
from his feathers, and now directs his laborious course to land,
beating in the wind with all the skill of a practised seaman.
The fish which he thus carries may be sometimes from six to
eight pounds; and so firm sometimes is the penetrating grasp
of his talons that when by mistake he engages with one which
is too large, he is dragged beneath the waves, and at length
both fish and bird perish.
From the nature of its food, the flesh, and even the eggs, are
rendered exceedingly rank and nauseous. Though its prey is
generally taken in the bold and spirited manner described, an
Osprey sometimes sits on a tree over a pond for an hour at
a time, quietly waiting its expected approach.
Unlike other rapacious birds, these may be almost con-
sidered gregarious, breeding so near each other that, accord-
ing to Mr. Gardiner, there were on the small island on which
he resided, near to the eastern extremity of Long Island
(New York), no less than three hundred nests with young.
Wilson observed twenty of their nests within half a mile. |
have seen them nearly as thick about Rehoboth Bay in Dela.
30 BIRDS OF PREY.
ware. Here they live together. at least as peaceably as rooks ;
and so harmless are they considered by other birds that, ac-
cording to Wilson, the Crow Blackbirds, or Grakles, are some-
times allowed refuge by the Ospreys, and construct their nests
in the very interstices of their eyry. It would appear some-
times that, as with Swallows, a general assistance is given in
the constructing of a new nest; for previous to this event, a
flock have been seen to assemble in the same tree, squealing as
is their custom when anything materially agitates them. At
times they are also seen engaged in social gambols high in the
air, making loud vociferations, suddenly darting down, and then
sailing in circles; and these innocent recreations, like many
other unmeaning things, are construed into prognostications of
stormy or changing weather. Their common friendly call is a
kind of shrill whistle, ’Ahew, "phew, 'phew, repeated five or six
times, and somewhat similar to the tone of a fife. Though
social, they are sometimes seen to combat in the air, instigatec
probably more by jealousy than a love of rapine, as their food
is always obtained from an unfailing source.
Early in May the Osprey commences laying and has from
two to four eggs. They are a little larger than those of the
Common Fowl, and are from a reddish or yellowish cream-color
to nearly white, marked with large blotches and points of
reddish brown. During the period of incubation the male
frequently supplies his mate with food, and she leaves her eggs
for very short intervals.
The young appear about the last of June, and are most
assiduously attended and supplied. On the approach of any
person towards the nest, the parent utters a peculiar plaintive,
whistling note, which increases as it takes to wing, sailing
round, and at times making a quick descent, as if aiming at
the intruder, but: sweeping past at a short distance. On the
nest being invaded, either while containing eggs or young,
the male displays great courage and makes a violent and
dangerous opposition. The young remain a long time in the
nest, so that the old are sometimes-obliged to thrust them
out and encourage them to fly ; but they still, for a period, con-
tinue to feed them in the air.
AMERICAN GOSHAWK.
BLUE HEN HAWK.
ACCIPITER ATRICAPILLUS.
Cyar. Above, dark bluish gray; top of head black, the feathers be.
neath the surface white; white stripe over the eye; tail with four dark
bands ; below, white barred and streaked with narrow dark lines. Young
very different ; above, brown, edges of feathers buffish ; tail lighter, tipped
with white and crossed by four or five dark bands; below, buffish, streaked
with brown. Length 22 to 24 inches.
Nest. Ina tree; made of twigs.
Eggs. 3-4; bluish white, with buff or reddish brown markings; 2.30
X 175.
The foreign representative of this elegant and spirited spe-
cies of Hawk appears to be common in France, Germany, the
northern parts of Great Britain, Russia, and Siberia, and ex-
tends into Chinese Tartary. Our species, so nearly related to |
the European bird, is very rare, migrating to the South ap- i
parently at the approach of winter. On the 26th of October, |
1830, I received one of these birds from the proprietor of
32 BIRDS OF PREY.
Fresh Pond Hotel, in the moult, having the stomach crammed
with moles and mice, and it was shot in the act of devouring
a Pigeon.
The Goshawk was held in considerable esteem for falconry,
and, according to Bell, was employed for this amusement by
the emperor of China, who moved sometimes to these excur-
sions in great state, often bearing a Hawk on his hand, to let
fly at any game that might be raised, which was usually Pheas-
ants, Partridges, Quails, or Cranes. In 1269 Marco Polo
witnessed this diversion of the emperor, which probably had
existed for many ages previous. The falconers distinguished
these birds of sport into two classes, -— namely, those of falconry
properly so called, and those of hawking, and in this second
and inferior class were included the Goshawk, the Sparrow
Hawk, Buzzard, and Harpy. This species does not soar so high
as the longer-winged Hawks, and darts upon its quarry by a side
glance, not by a direct descent, like the true Falcon. These
birds were caught in nets baited with live Pigeons, and reduced
to obedience by the same system of privation and discipline
as the Falcon.
A pair of Goshawks were kept for a long time in a cage by
Buffon ; he remarks that the female was at least a third larger
than the male, and the wings, when closed, did not reach
within six inches of the end of the tail. The male, though
smaller, was much more fierce and untamable. They often
fought with their claws, but seldom used the bill for any other
purpose than tearing their food. If this consisted of birds,
they were plucked as neatly as by the hand of the poulterer ;
but mice were swallowed whole, and the hair and skin, and
other indigestible parts, after the manner of the genus, were
discharged from the mouth rolled up in little balls. Its cry
was raucous, and terminated by sharp, reiterated, piercing
notes, the more disagreeable the oftener they were repeated ;
and the cage could never be approached without exciting
violent gestures and screams. Though of different sexes, and
confined to the same cage, they contracted no friendship for
each other which might soothe their imprisonment, and finally,
GOSHAWK. 33
to end the dismal picture, the female, in a fit of indiscriminate
rage and violence, murdered her mate in the silence of the
night, when all the other feathered race were wrapped in
repose. Indeed, their dispositions are so furious that a Gos-
hawk, left with any other Falcons, soon effects the destruction
of the whole. Their ordinary food is young rabbits, squirrels,
mice, moles, young Geese, Pigeons, and small birds, and, with
a cannibal appetite, they sometimes even prey upon the young
of their own species.
The Goshawk is not so rare in America as the older naturalists
supposed ; indeed, it is quite a common bird in the maritime Prov-
inces of Canada and in northern New England, where it is found
during the entire year. It occurs also west to Manitoba (though
apparently rare in the Lake Superior region), and ranges, in winter,
south to Maryland, Kentucky, and Ohio.
Its usual breeding area is from about latitude 45° to the fur
countries; though a few pairs probably build every year in southern
New England. So few, comparatively, of the older and full-plu-
maged birds are seen that the species is not well known, the
younger brown birds being almost indistinguishable from the
young of several other Hawks.
There are several species that receive the name of “Hen Hawk”
from the farmer; but none is so much dreaded as the “ Blue Hawk,”
—and for goodreason. With a boldness, strength, and dexterity of
flight that is rivalled only by the Peregrine, the Goshawk com-
bines a spirit of enterprise worthy of the Osprey, and a ferocity
and cunning that are unmatched by any of the tribe. I have seen
one swoop into a farmyard while the fowls were being fed, and
carry off a half-grown chick without any perceptible pause in the
flight.
VOL. I. — 3
COOPER'S HAWK.
ACCIPITER COOPERII.
Cuar. Adult bluish gray or almost bluish ash, head darker ; below,
whitish, breast and belly thickly streaked with reddish brown, sides with
a bluish tinge; wings and tail barred with dark brown, tail tipped with
white. Length about 16 inches (female 2 to 3 inches longer).
Nest. Ina tree, near the trunk; made of twigs, lined with grass.
Eggs. 3-4; bluish white spotted with reddish brown (sometimes im-
maculate) ; 1.90 X I.50.
| This fine species of Hawk is found in considerable numbers
in the Middle States, particularly New York and New Jersey,
in the autumn and at the approach of winter. It is also
seen in the Oregon territory to the shores of the Pacific. Its
food appears principally to be birds of various kinds; from
the Sparrow to the Ruffed Grouse, all contribute to its rapa-
cious appetite. I have also seen this species as far south as
the capital of Alabama, and, in common with the preceding,
its depredations among the domestic fowls are very destructive.
Mr. Cooper informs me that the plumage of the adult male
bears the same analogy to the adult of # fwscus as the young
of that species does to the present, excepting that the rufous
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 35
tints are paler. The difference in size between the two is as
2, or even 3, to I.
Cooper’s Hawk is generally distributed throughout North Amer-
ica from the fur countries to Mexico (in winter), though most
abundant in the southern portions of New England and in the
Middle States, where it is fairly common at all seasons.
It is called “ Chicken Hawk ” by the Northern farmers.
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.
ACCIPITER VELOX.
Cuar. The adult may be best described as a small edition of
Cooper’s Hawk, which it resembles in almost everything but size. The
top of the head is bluish, and the cheeks have a reddish tinge. Length
of male about 11 inches ; female some 2 inches longer.
Nest. Ina tree; made of twigs, and lined with leaves and grass.
Eggs. 3-5; bluish white or greenish white blotched with brown;
1.45 X 1.15.
This bold and daring species possesses all the courageous
habits and temerity of the true Falcon; and if the princely
amusement to which these birds were devoted was now in
fashion, few species of the genus would be found more san-
guinary and pugnacious than the present. The young bird is
described by Pennant under the name of the Dubious Falcon,
and he remarks its affinity to the European Sparrow Hawk.
It is, however, somewhat less, differently marked on the head,
and much more broadly and faintly barred below. The nest
of our species, according to Audubon, is made in a tree, and the
eggs are four or five, grayish white, blotched with dark brown ;
they lay about the beginning to the middle of March. The
true Sparrow Hawk shows considerable docility, is easily trained
to hunt Partridges and Quails, and makes great destruction
among Pigeons, young poultry, and small birds of all kinds.
In the winter they migrate from Europe into Barbary and
Greece, and are seen in great numbers out at sea, making such
havoc among the birds of passage they happen to meet in
their way that the sailors in the Mediterranean call them
Corsairs. Wilson observed the female of our species descend
36 BIRDS OF PREY,
upon its prey with great velocity in a sort of zig-zag pounce,
after the manner of the Goshawk. Descending furiously and
blindly upon its quarry, a young Hawk of this species broke
through the glass of the greenhouse at the Cambridge Botanic
Garden, and fearlessly passing through a second glass parti-
tion, he was only brought up by the third, and caught, though
little stunned bv the effort. His wing-feathers were much torn
by the glass, and his flight in this way so impeded as to allow
of his being approached. This species feeds principally upon
mice, lizards, small birds, and sometimes even squirrels. In
the thinly settled States of Georgia and Alabama this Hawk
seems to abound, and proves extremely destructive to young
chickens, a single bird having been known regularly to come
every day until he had carried away between twenty and thirty.
At noon-day, while I was conversing with a planter, one of these
Hawks came down, and without any ceremony, or heeding the
loud cries of the housewife, who most reluctantly witnessed the
robbery, snatched away a chicken directly before us. At an-
other time, near Tuscaloosa, in Alabama, I observed a pair of
these birds furiously attack the large Red-tailed Hawk, squall-
ing very loudly, and striking him on the head until they had
entirely chased him out of sight. This enmity appeared to
arise from a suspicion that the Buzzard was prowling round
the farm-house for the poultry, which these Hawks seemed to
claim as their exclusive perquisite. As this was, however, the
13th of February, these insulting marauders might possibly be
already preparing to breed, and thus be incited to drive away
every suspicious intruder approaching their nest. In fine
weather I have observed this species soar to a great elevation,
and ascend above the clouds. In this exercise, as usual, the
wings seem but little exercised, the ascent being made in a
sort of swimming gyration; though while near the surface of
the earth the motion of the wings in this bird is rapid and
continuous.
The Sharp-shinned is the commonest Hawk throughout New
England and the settled portions of Canada, and breeds southward
to the Southern States. In winter it ranges south to Panama.
MISSISSIPPI KITE.
BLUE KITE.
IcTINA MISSISSIPPIENSIS.
Cuar. General color bluish-gray, lighter on the head and seconda
ties, darker on primaries and tail. Length, 13 to 15% inches.
Nest. Ona tree; of small sticks, lined with moss and leaves.
£ggs. 2-3; bluish white; size variable, averaging 1.65 X 1.35.
This remarkably long-winged and beautiful Hawk does not
appear to extend its migrations far within the United States.
Wilson observed it rather plentiful about and below Natchez
in the summer season, sailing in easy circles, sometimes at
a great elevation, so as to keep company with the Turkey
Buzzards in the most elevated regions of the air ; at other times
they were seen among the lofty forest trees, like Swallows
sweeping along, and collecting the locusts (Cicadw) which
swarmed at this season. My friend Mr. Say observed this
species pretty far up the Mississippi, at one of Major Long’s
cantonments. But except on the banks of this great river,
it is rarely seen even in the most southern States. Its food,
38 BIRDS OF PREY.
no doubt, abounds more along the immense valley of the Mis-
sissippi than in the interior regions, and, besides large in-
sects, probably often consists of small birds, lizards, snakes,
and other reptiles, which swarm in these their favorite resorts.
On the failure of food these birds migrate by degrees into the
Mexican and South American provinces, and were observed
by D’Azara in Guiana, about the latitude of 7°. According to
Audubon, this Kite breeds in the Southern States as well as
in Texas, selecting the tall magnolias and white-oaks. From
the narrow limits within which this bird inhabits in the United
States, it is more than probable that the principal part of the
species are constant residents in the warmer parts of the Ameri-
can continent. They begin to migrate early in August.
The range of this species is given as “southern United States
southward from South Carolina, and Wisconsin and Iowa to
Mexico.”
WHITE-TAILED KITE.
BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE.
ELANUS LEUCURUS.
Cuar. General color bluish gray fading to white on head and tail; a
large patch of black on shoulder ; lower parts white. Length 15 to 163%
inches.
Nest. Ina tree, loosely built of sticks and leaves.
Eggs. 2-4; dull white, heavily blotched with brown, 1.60 x 1.25.
This beautiful Hawk, scarcely distinguishable from a second
African species of this section, chiefly inhabits the continent
of South America as far as Paraguay. In the United States it
is only seen occasionally in the peninsula of East Florida, con-
fining its visits almost to the southern extremity of the Union.
It appears to be very shy and difficult of approach; flying in
easy circles at a moderate elevation, or at times seated on the
deadened branches of the majestic live-oak, it attentively
watches the borders of the salt-marshes and watery situations
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. 39
for the field-mice of that country, or unwary Sparrows, that
approach its perch. The bird of Africa and India is said to
utter a sharp and piercing cry, which is often repeated while
the bird moves in the air. It builds, in the forks of trees, a
broad and shallow nest, lined internally with moss and feathers.
A pair have been known to breed on the Santee River in the
month of March, according to Audubon.
This Kite occurs regularly in the Southern States, north to
South Carolina, and Mr. Ridgway has met with it in southern
Illinois. It extends its range westward to California.
SWALLOW-TAILED KITE.
FORK-TAILED KITE.
ELANOIDES FORFICATUS.
Cuar. Head, neck, rump, and lower parts white, other parts black ;
tail deeply forked. Length 1914 to 2534 inches.
Vest. Ina tree; of sticks and moss, lined with grass and leaves.
fggs. 2-3; white, with buff or green tinge, spotted with various shades
of brown; 1.85 X 1.50
This beautiful Kite breeds and passes the summer in the
warmer parts of the United States, and is also probably resi-
dent in all tropical and temperate America, migrating into the
southern as well as the northern hemisphere. In the former,
according to Viellot, it is found in Peru and as far as Buenos
Ayres; and though it is extremely rare to meet with this
species as far as the latitude of 40° in the Atlantic States,
yet, tempted by the abundance of the fruitful valley of the
Mississippi, individuals have been seen along that river as
far as the Falls of St. Anthony, in the 44th degree of north
latitude. Indeed, according to Fleming two stragglers have
even found their devious way to the strange climate of Great
Britain.
These Kites appear in the United States about the close of
April or beginning of May, and are very numerous in the Mis-
40 BIRDS OF PREY.
sissippi territory, twenty or thirty being sometimes visible at
the same time; often collecting locusts and other large insects,
which they are said to feed on from their claws while flying,
at times also seizing upon the nests of locusts and wasps, and,
like the Honey Buzzard, devouring both the insects and their
larvee. Snakes and lizards are their common food in all parts
of America. In the month of October they begin to retire to
the South, at which season Mr. Bartram observed them in
great numbers assembled in Florida, soaring steadily at great
elevations for several days in succession, and slowly passing
towards their winter quarters along the Gulf of Mexico. From
the other States they migrate early in September.
This species is most abundant in the western division of the Gulf
States, but is irregularly distributed over the Southern, Western,
and Middle States. It has occasionally visited New England, and
examples have been seen in Manitoba and near London and
Ottawa in Ontario.
EVERGLADE KITE.
BLACK KITE. HOOK-BILL KITE. SNAIL HAWK,
ROSTRHANIUS SOCIABILIS.
CuHar. Prevailing color dull bluish ash, darker on tail, wings, and an-
terior portion of head; rump white, with terminal bar of light brown;
bill black ; feet orange. Length 16 to 18 inches.
Nest. A platform with a slight depression, composed of sticks or dried
grass, built in a low bush or amid tall grass.
£gys. 2-3; brownish white blotched with various shades of brown;
1.70 X 1.45.
This is a tropical species that occurs in Florida. Mr. W. E. D.
Scott reports finding it abundant at Panasofkee Lake, and says:
“Their food at this point apparently consists of a kind of large
fresh-water snail which is very abundant. . . . They fish over the
shallow water, reminding one of gulls in their motions; and having
secured a snail by diving, they immediately carry it to the nearest
available perch, when the animal is dexterously taken from the
shell, without injury to the latter.”
ee
AMERICAN ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.
BLACK HAWK.
ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS SANCTI-JOHANNIS.
CuHaR. General color variable, — dark or light brown, or brownish gray,
sometimes black ; all the feathers edged with lighter color, producing an
appearance of streaks. The absence of these streaks on the belly forms
adark band. Tail with dark and light bars, and whitish at its base.
Easily distinguished from any other Hawk by the feathered shank. Length
19% to 22 inches.
West. In a large tree, or on rocks; of sticks lined with grass, dry
moss, and feathers.
£iggs. 2-3; white or creamy, more or less spotted with brown; 1.90
X 1.55.
This remarkable species of Buzzard appears to take up its
residence chiefly in the northern and western wilds of America.
My friend Mr. Townsend found its nest on the banks of Bear
River, west of the Rocky Mountains. The nest, formed of
large sticks, was in a thick willow bush about ten feet from
the ground, and contained two young almost fledged. It is
42 BIRDS OF PREY.
said to lay four eggs, clouded with reddish. It is common
also to the north of Europe, if not to Africa. The usual station
of these birds is on the outskirts of woods, in the neighborhood
ot marshes, — situations suited for supplying them with their
usual humble prey of frogs, mice, reptiles, and straggling birds,
for which they patiently watch for hours together, from daybreak
to late twilight. When prey is perceived, the bird takes a cau-
tious, slow, circuitous course near the surface, and sweeping over
the spot where the object of pursuit is lurking, he instantly
grapples it, and flies off to consume it at leisure. Occasionally
they feed on crabs and shell-fish, The inclement winters of
the high northern regions, where they are usually bred, failing
to afford them fod, they are under the necessity of making a
slow migration towards those countries which are less severe.
According to Wilson, no less than from twenty to thirty young
individuals of this species continued regularly to take up their
winter quarters in the low meadows below Philadelphia. They
are never observed to soar, and when disturbed, utter a loud,
squealing note, and only pass from one neighboring tree to
another.
The great variation in the plumage of this Hawk.has been the
cause of considerable controversy. Wilson wrote of the black and
the brown phases as of two species, giving them distinct habits.
Nuttall, following Audubon, considered the changes from light to
dark due only to age. Spencer Baird (in 1858), Cassin, and Dr.
Brewer agreed with Wilson. Later authorities, however, with
more material to aid them, have pronounced both views incorrect,
and have decided that there is but one species, — that the black is
but a melanistic phase. Our systematists now separate the Ameri-
can from the European form, giving to the former varietal rank,
as its “trinomial appellation ” denotes.
Nuttall does not mention the occurrence of this bird in Massa-
chusetts, though Dr. Brewer states that at one time it was abun-
dant near Boston, and within more recent years numbers have been
captured by Mr. E. O. Damon on the Holyoke Hills, near Spring-
field. It occurs within the United States principally as a winter
visitor when it ranges south to Virginia, its chief breeding-ground
lying in the Labrador and Hudson Bay district.
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK.
WINTER HAWK.
BUTEO LINEATUS.
Cuar. Adult: general color dark reddish brown; head and neck ru-
fous; below, lighter, with dark streaks and light bars; wings and tail
black with white bars; lesser wing-coverts chestnut. Young, with little
of the rufous tinge. below, buffy with dark streaks. Length 19 to 22
inches.
West, In a tree; of loosely arranged twigs, lined with grass and
feathers.
£ggs. 2-4; bluish white or buffy blotched with brown; 2.20 X 1.70.
This very elegant Hawk does not migrate or inhabit very
far to the north. It is never seen in Massachusetts, nor per-
haps much farther than the State of Pennsylvania. In the
Southern States, during winter, these birds are very common in
swampy situations, where their quailing cry of mutual recogni-
tion may be heard from the depths of the dark forest almost
44 BIRDS OF PREY.
every morning of the season. This plaintive echoing note
resembles somewhat the garrulous complaint of the Jay, 2ee-00,
keé-o6, keé-o6, continued with but little intermission sometimes
for near twenty minutes. At length it becomes loud and im-
patient; but on being distantly answered by the mate, the
sound softens and becomes plaintive like £éé-00. This morn-
ing call is uttered most loudly and incessantly by the male,
inquiring for his adventurous mate, wnom the uncertain result
of the chase has perhaps separated from him for the night.
As this species is noways shy, and very easily approached, I
have had the opportunity of studying it closely. At length,
but in no haste, I observed the female approach and take her
station on the same lofty, decayed limb with her companion,
who, grateful for this attention, plumed the feathers of his
mate with all the assiduous fondness of a Dove. Intent upon
her meal, however, she soon flew off to a distance, while the
male still remained on his perch, dressing up his beautiful
feathers for near half an hour, often shaking his tail, like some
of the lesser birds, and occasionally taking an indifferent sur-
vey of the hosts of small chirping birds which surrounded him,
who followed without alarm their occupation of gleaning seeds
and berries for subsistence. I have occasionally observed
them perched on low bushes and stakes in the rice-fields, re-
maining thus for half an hour at a time, and then darting after
their prey as it comes in sight. I saw one descend upon a
Plover, as I thought, and Wilson remarks their living on these
birds, Larks, and Sandpipers. The same pair that I watched
also hung on the rear of a flock of cow-buntings which were
feeding and scratching around them. They sometimes attack
squirrels, as I have been informed, and Wilson charges them
with preying also upon Ducks.
I never observed them to soar, at least in winter, their time
being passed very much in indolence and in watching for
their game. Their flight is almost as easy and noiseless as
that of the Owl. In the early part of the month of March
they were breeding in West Florida, and seemed to choose
the densest thickets and not to build at any great height from
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, 45
the ground. On approaching these places, the £eé-06 became
very loud and angry.
Winter Hawk.—This large American Buzzard is not un-
common in this vicinity, as well as in the neighborhood of
Philadelphia, where Wilson met with it along the marshes and
meadows, feeding almost wholly upon frogs. It is abundant
toward winter. It appears to have very much the manners
of the European Buzzard, remaining inactive for hours to.
gether on the edges of wet meadows, perched upon the larger
limbs of trees, and at times keeping up a regular quailing and
rather hoarse keigh-o0, keigh-oo, which at intervals is answered
by the mate. When approached, it commonly steals off to
some other tree at no great distance from the first; but if
the pursuit be continued, it flies out and hovers at a consider-
able height. It is also an inhabitant of Hudson’s Bay and
Newfoundland.
Nuttall regarded the old and young as distinct species, giving
to-them not only distinctive names, but a different distribution.
Taken together, his two biographies tell about all that is yet known
of the habits and range of the species. It is found throughout this
faunal province, from the Gulf States to the southern border of the
fur countries, has been taken at York Factory on Hudson’s Bay,
and is common in Manitoba.
Nore. -— The FLORIDA RED-SHOULDERED Hawk (Buteo linea-
tus allent) is a Southern form found in Florida, and ranging on
the Atlantic shore north to South Carolina and along the Gulf
coast to Texas. It differs from true /ézeatus in having the rufous
tinge on the head and neck replaced by brownish gray.
46 BIRDS OF PREY.
HARRIS’S HAWK.
PaRABUTEO UNICINCTUS HARRISI.
Cuar. Prevailing color black, sometimes chocolate brown, tinged with
chestnut on the rump; shoulders and lining of wings chestnut ; tail-coverts,
base of tail, and terminal band, white. Length about 20 inches.
Nest. Ona cliff or in a tree, — usually the latter; a mere platform of
twigs and roots, lined with grass.
Eggs. 2-5 (usually 3); white, tinged with yellow, sometimes marked
with brown or lavender, or both; 2.15 X 1.65.
Harris’s Hawk is abundant in parts of Texas and in Mexico,
and occurs in small numbers in the southern part of Mississippi.
It is usually represented as a rather sluggish bird, associating with
the Vultures and joining in their feasts of carrion, but sometimes
preying upon the small reptiles that infest the banks of streams
and pools. Mr. Sennett, however, describes those he saw along
the lower Rio Grande as more active, feeding chiefly on birds,
mice, and gophers.
RED-TAILED HAWK.
BUTEO BOREALIS.
Cuar. Above, dull brown streaked with rufous and grayish; below,
whitish or tawny streaked with brown; tail chestnut above and gray
beneath, with a band of black near the end and tipped with white. In
the young the tail is grayish brown crossed by some nine dark bars,
and the underparts are white with brown streaks. Length 1934 to 23
inches.
Nest. In a high tree; of sticks, lined with grass, sometimes with
feathers.
£ges. 2-4; whitish or bluish white, usually heavily spotted or blotched
with reddish brown; 2 30 X 1.80.
This beautiful Buzzard inhabits most parts of the United
States, being observed from Canada to Florida; also, far
westward up the Missouri, and even on the coasts of the
northern Pacific Ocean, by Lewis and Clarke. Wilson found
the young to be fully grown in the month of May, about
latitude 31° on the banks of the Mississippi; at this period
they were very noisy and clamorous, keeping up an inces-
sant squealing. It also occasionally nests and breeds in large
RED-TAILED HAWK. 47
trees in the secluded forests of this part of Massachusetts,
The young birds soon become very submissive, and allow them-
selves to be handled with impunity by those who feed them.
The older birds sometimes contest with each other in the air
about their prey, and nearly or wholly descend to the earth
grappled in each other’s talons. Though this species has the
general aspect of the Buzzard, its manners are very similar to
those of the Goshawk; it is equally fierce and predatory,
prowling around the farm often when straitened for food,
and seizing, now and then, a hen or chicken, which it snatches
by making a lateral approach: it sweeps along near the sur-
face of the ground, and grasping its prey in its talons, bears it
away to devour in some place of security. These depredations
on the farm-yard happen, however, only in the winter; at all
other seasons this is one of the shyest and most difficult
birds to approach, It will at times pounce upon rabbits and
considerable-sized birds, particularly Larks, and has been
observed in the Southern States perseveringly to pursue
squirrels from bough to bough until they are overtaken and
seized in the talons. It is frequently seen near wet meadows
where mice, moles, and frogs are prevalent, and also feeds
upon lizards, — appearing, indeed, often content with the
most humble game.
They usually associate in pairs, and seem much attached to
each other; yet they often find it convenient and profitable to
separate in hunting their prey, about which they would readily
quarrel if brought into contact. Though a good deal of their
time passes in indolence, while perched in some tall and dead-
ened tree, yet at others they may be seen beating the ground
as they fly over it in all directions in quest of game. On some
occasions they amuse themselves by ascending to a vast eleva-
tion, like the aspiring Eagle. On a fine evening, about the
middle of January, in South Carolina, I observed one of these
birds leave its withered perch, and soaring aloft over the wild
landscape, in a mood of contemplation, ‘begin to ascend
towards the thin skirting of elevated clouds above him. At
length he passed this sublime boundary, and was now per-
48 BIRDS OF PREY.
ceived and soon followed by his ambitious mate, and in‘a little
time, by circular ascending gyrations, they both disappeared in
the clear azure of the heavens; and though I waited for their
re-appearance half an hour, they still continued to be wholly
invisible. This amusement, or predilection for the cooler
regions of the atmosphere, seems more or less common to all
the rapacious birds. In numerous instances this exercise must
be wholly independent of the inclination for surveying their
prey, as few of them besides the Falcon descend direct upon
their quarry. Many, as well as the present species, when on
the prowl fly near to the surface of the ground, and often wait
and watch so as to steal upon their victims before they can
take the alarm. Indeed the Condor frequents and nests upon
the summit of the Andes, above which they are seen to soar
in the boundless ocean of space, enjoying the invigorating and
rarefied atmosphere, and only descending to the plains when
impelled by the cravings of hunger.
The Eastern variety of the Red-tail is a common bird through-
out eastern North America north to about latitude 49°, and was
taken by Dr. Bell at Fort Churchill, on Hudson’s Bay. It ranges
westward to the Great Plains, where it is replaced by the sub-
species ériderz, From the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific it is
represented by ca/urvus, and examples of this latter variety have
been taken, occasionally, as far east as Illinois. The Red-tail is a
summer resident only of the Maritime Provinces, but a few are
found in winter in southern Ontario and New England.
Note. — Mr. Ridgway now considers HARLAN’s Hawk to be
a variety of the Red-tail, and he proposes to name it Buteo borealis
harlani. Its usual habitat is along the lower Mississippi; but exam-
ples have been taken in Illinois, lowa, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.
Capt. Bendine reports that KripER’s Hawk (2. 6. Krideri)
occurs in Iowa and northern Illinois. (Life Histories of North
American Birds.)
Two examples of Swainson’s Hawk (Suteo swainsoni), a
Western species, have been taken in Massachusetts, —one at
Wayland in 1876, and the other near Salem in 1878.
BROAD-WINGED HAWK.
BUTEO LATISSIMUS.
CHAR. Above, dull brown, the feathers with paler edges; tail dusky
with four light bars and tipped with white ; below, buffish or tawny, barred
and streaked with rufous. Length 16 inches. Young: similar, but tail
brownish, with several dusky bars ; below buffy streaked with dusky.
Nest. In a tree; loosely built of twigs, and lined with leaves and
feathers.
eggs. 2-4; buffish, blotched with reddish brown of various shades ;
1.90 X 1.55.
This species was obtained by Wilson, in the vicinity of
Philadelphia, in the act of feeding on a meadow-mouse. On
being approached, it uttered a whining whistle and flew to
another tree, where it was shot. Its great breadth of wing, as
well as of the head and body, compared with its length, ap-
pears remarkably characteristic. The following day the mate
was observed sailing in wide circles, the wings scarcely moving,
and presenting almost a semi-circular outline. ‘These two in-
dividuals appear to be all that were known to Wilson of this
VOL. I. — 4
50 BIRDS OF PREY.
species. Audubon considers it by no means a rare species
in Virginia, Maryland, and all the States to the eastward of
these. Its usual prey is small birds, very young poultry, small
quadrupeds, and insects.
The Broad-wing occurs throughout this eastern faunal province,
but is somewhat local in distribution. In portions of the Maritime
Provinces it is abundant, though in general it is rather uncommon.
Mr. John Neilson considers it common near the city of Quebec, but
Mr. Ernest Wintle reports it rare at Montreal, while Mr. William
L. Scott thinks it the commonest Hawk in the Ottawa valley. Mr.
Thomas Mcllwraith gives it as a “casual visitor” to the southern
portions of Ontario, and Mr. Ernest Thompson found it abundant
in the Muskoka district. Thompson also reports it common in
Manitoba.
In the more northern portions of New England it is a fairly
common summer visitor, while it is found in Massachusetts and
Connecticut throughout the year, but is rather rare. It occurs
also in more or less abundance in all the Middle, Western, and
Southern States.
My observations in New Brunswick have led me to form a dif-
ferent opinion of the characteristics of this Hawk from those
expressed by several writers. The examples I met with were not
peculiarly void of either boldness or vigor in pursuit of their prey,
nor peculiarly spiritless when wounded. They did, of course, like
others of the tribe, pursue weak prey, and displayed little true
bravery; but bravery is not a characteristic of the Hawks. A
wounded Broad-wing, however, acts just as does the boldest of
them, — he turns on his back and hits out with claws, beak, and
wings ; and the gunner who thinks he has a meek or spiritless bird
to handle may regret the thought.
SHORT-TAILED HAWK.
BUTEO BRACHYURUS.
Cuar. Above, brownish black or blackish brown; forehead and cheeks
white; tail brownish gray barred with black and tipped with white;
beneath, pure white, a patch of rufous on side of chest. Length 16
inches.
Nest. In a tall tree; made of dry twigs, lined with fresh twigs of
cypress.
£ggs. 1-3; dull white, spotted on large end with reddish brown.
MARSH HAWK. Sr
The black and brown phases of plumage worn by this bird have
caused the scientific ornithologists no little perplexity, and been the
subject of some controversy; so a brief summary of the various
opinions held may serve as an illustration of the evolution of many
scientific names.
The species was first described from a specimen in brown plu-
mage and given the name it now bears; then a young bird came
into the hands of another systematist, and supposing it to be a new
species, he named it B. oxyfterus, and afterwards an example in
black was taken by still another, who supposed it to be something
new, so he wrote it down B. fulivinosus. These two last-men-
tioned were disposed of by other writers as synonyms of swazn-
soni, oxypterus being considered the young plumage, and /wdig7-
nosus a melanistic phase, while in several more recent works the
latter, as the Little Black Hawk, was restored to specific rank.
These opinions have recently been abandoned for that which has
been held for a long time by the few, — that both fuligénosus and
oxypterus are synonyms of the present species.
It cannot, however, be said that the matter is finally adjusted, for
the black color still presents this problem: Is it individual or sex-
ual, — a melanistic phase, or the normal color of the adult male?
The bird is entirely tropical in its range, and is found within the
United States only in the tropical portions of Florida. It was sup-
posed formerly to occur there merely as a casual or accidental
straggler; but recent observations have proved it to be a regular
though uncommon visitor, and breeding there.
MARSH HAWK.
MARSH HARRIER. BLUE HAWK.
CIRCUS HUDSONIUS.
Cuar. Adult male: above, bluish gray; tail with dark bands; rump
white; beneath white. Adult female and young: above, dark brown
streaked with rufous; tail with dark bands; rump white ; beneath, tawny
with dark streaks. Length 19 to 24 inches.
West. On the ground, in damp meadow or cedar swamp; a loosely
arranged platform of dried grass some four to six inches high, with little
depression, occasionally lined with softer material.
Leggs. 3-8; bluish white, sometimes spotted with buffish or brown;
1.80 X 1.40.
52 BIRDS OF PREY.
This species is common to the northern and temperate, as
well as the warmer parts of the old and new continents, being
met with in Europe, Africa, South America, and the West
Indies. In the winter season it extends its peregrinations
from Hudson’s Bay to the Oregon territory and the southern
parts of the United States, frequenting chiefly open, low, and
marshy situations, over which it sweeps or skims along, at a
little distance usually from the ground, in quest of mice, small
birds, frogs, lizards, and other reptiles, which it often selects
by twilight as well as in the open day; and at times, pressed
by hunger, it is said to join the Owls and seek out its prey
even by moonlight. Instances have been known in England
in which this bird has carried its temerity so far as to pursue
the same game with the armed fowler, and even snatch it from
his grasp after calmly waiting for it to be shot, and without
even betraying timidity at the report of the gun. The nest of
this species is made on the ground, in swampy woods or
among rushes, occasionally also under the protection of rocky
precipices, and is said to be formed of sticks, reeds, leaves,
straw, and similar materials heaped together, and finished with
a lining of feathers, hair, or other soft substances. In the
£, cineraceus, so nearly related to this species, the eggs are of
a pure white. When their young are approached, the parents,
hovering round the intruder and uttering a sort of uncouth
syllable, like geg geg gag, or ge ge ne ge ge, seem full of afright
and anxiety. The Crows, however, are their greatest enemies,
and they often succeed in demolishing the nests. The young
are easily tamed, and feed almost immediately without exhib-
iting any signs of fear.
Nuttall has told about al’ that more modern observers have to
tell of this species. The authorities differ chiefly in descriptions of
the structure of the nest and the markings on the eggs. The nests
that I have examined have been composed entirely of coarse grass,
without lining, though the softest of the grass was laid on top.
The eggs were unspotted.
HAWK OWL.
SURNIA ULULA CAPAROCH.
Cuar. Above, dull blackish brown, spotted with white ; crown without
spots; dark patch on the cheeks; face white, the feathers with dark
margins; tail and wing with white bars; below, white with dark bars.
Length 1434 to 1734 inches.
Nest. Ona tree; of twigs lined with feathers.
Leggs. 2-7; dull white; 1.55 X 1.25.
This remarkable species, forming a connecting link with
the preceding genus of the Hawks, is nearly confined to the
Arctic wilds of both continents, being frequent in Siberia and
the fur countries from Hudson’s Bay to the Pacific. A few
stragglers, now and then, at distant intervals and in the depths
of winter, penetrate on the one side into the northern parts of
the United States, and on the other they occasionally appear
in Germany, and more rarely in France. At Hudson’s Bay
they are observed by day flying high and preying on the White
Grouse and other birds, sometimes even attending the hunter
like a Falcon, and boldly taking up the wounded game as it
54 " BIRDS OF PREY.
flutters on the ground. They are also said to feed on mice
and insects, and (according to Meyer) they nest upon trees,
laying two white eggs. They are said to be constant atten-
dants on the Ptarmigans in their spring migrations towards the
North, and are observed to hover round the camp-fires of the
natives, in quest probably of any offal or rejected game.
In Massachusetts and the more southern portions of New Eng-
land the Hawk Owl is only an occasional winter visitor; but in
northern New England and the Maritime Provinces it occurs regu-
larly, though of varying abundance, in some seasons being quite
rare. It is fairly common near Montreal, and rare in Ontario and
in Ohio. Thompson reports it abundant in Manitoba, but only
one example has been taken in Illinois (Azdeway). It breeds in
Newfoundland, the Magdalen Islands, and northern Manitoba,
and north to sub-arctic regions.
SNOWY OWL.
NYcCTEA NYCTEA.
CuHar. General color pure white, with markings of dull brown or
brownish black, the abundance and shade of the spots varying with age.
A large, stout bird. Length 23 to 27 inches.
Nest. On the ground, of twigs and grass, lined with feathers.
Eggs. 5to10; white; 2.55 X 1.90.
This very large and often snow-white species of Owl is
almost an exclusive inhabitant of the Arctic regions of both
continents, being common in Iceland, the Shetland Islands,
Kamtschatka, Lapland, and Hudson’s Bay. In these dreary
wilds, surrounded by an almost perpetual winter, he dwells,
breeds, and obtains his subsistence. His white robe renders
56 BIRDS OF PREY.
him scarcely discernible from the overwhelming snows, where
he reigns, like the boreal spirit of the storm. His loud, hol-
low, barking growl, ’whowh, ’whowh, 'whowh hah, hah, hah,
hah, and other more dismal cries, sound like the unearthly
ban of Cerberus ; and heard amidst a region of cheerless soli-
tude, his lonely and terrific voice augments rather than relieves
the horrors of the scene.
Clothed with a dense coating of feathers, which hide even
the nostrils, and leave only the talons exposed, he ventures
abroad boldly at all seasons, and, like the Hawks, seeks his
prey by daylight as well as dark, skimming aloft and reconnoi-
tring his prey, which is commonly the White Grouse or some
other birds of the same genus, as well as hares. On these he
darts from above, and rapidly seizes them in his resistless
talons. At times he watches for fish, and condescends also to
prey upon rats, mice, and even carrion.
These birds appear to have a natural aversion to settled
countries ; for which reason, perhaps, and the severity of the
climate of Arctic America, they are frequently known to wander
in the winter south through the thinly settled interior of the
United States. They migrate probably by pairs; and accord-
ing to Wilson, two of these birds were so stupid, or dazzled,
as to alight on the roof of the court-house in the large town of
Cincinnati. In South Carolina Dr. Garden saw them occa-
sionally, and they were, in this mild region, observed to hide
themselves during the day in the palmetto-groves of the sea-
coast, and only sallied out towards night in quest of their prey.
Their habits, therefore, seem to vary considerably, according
to circumstances and climate.
This species is a regular winter visitor to the Northern and
Middle States, and during some seasons has been quite abundant.
A few pairs have been seen in summer in northern Maine, New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia; but the usual breeding-ground is
from about latitude 50° to the Arctic regions.
While in their more southern resorts they are rarely found far
from the forest districts.
1 These latter syllables with the usual quivering sound of the Owl,
fit
shee,
gore
SCREECH OWL.
MOTTLED OWL. RED OWL.
MEGASCOPS ASIO.
CuHar. Of two phases, brownish gray and brownish red. Above,
mottled with darker shades of the prevailing color and with blackish;
below, dull whitish or with a rufous tint and heavily marked with dull
brown or blackish. In highly colored red examples the spots are less
frequent. Large ear tufts; wings and tail barred with the light and dark
colors ; legs feathered and toes bristled. Length 7 to Io inches.
Vest. Ina hollow tree or stump ; the bottom of the hole slightly lined
with leaves or feathers. ‘
£ggs. 4-8; white, nearly round; 1.35 X 1.20.
Mottled Owl.— This common, small, and handsome species,
known as the Little Screech Owl, is probably resident in every
part of the United States, and, in fact, inhabits from Greenland
to Florida, and westward to the Oregon. It appears more
abundant in autumn and winter, as at those seasons, food {fail-
58 BIRDS OF PREY.
ing, it is obliged to approach habitations and barns, in which
the mice it chiefly preys on now assemble; it also lies in wait
for small birds, and feeds on beetles, crickets, and other in-
sects. The nest is usually in the hollow of an old orchard tree,
about the months of May or June; it is lined carelessly with
a little hay, leaves, and feathers, and the eggs are commonly
four to six, white, and nearly round. Aldrovandus remarks
that the Great Horned Owl provides so plentifully for its
young that a person might obtain some dainties from the
nest, and yet leave a sufficiency for the Owlets besides. The
same remark may also apply to this species, as in the hollow
stump of an apple-tree, which contained a brood of these
young Owls, were found several Bluebirds, Blackbirds, and
Song Sparrows, intended as a supply of food.
Durisg the day these birds retire into hollow trees and un-
frequented barns, or hide in the thickest evergreens. At times
they are seen abroad by day, and in cloudy weather they wake
up from their diurnal slumbers a considerable time before
dark. In the day they are always drowsy, or, as if dozing,
closing, or scarcely half opening their heavy eyes, presenting
the very picture of sloth and nightly dissipation. When per-
ceived by the smaller birds, they are at once recognized as
their insidious enemies ; and the rareness of their appearance,
before the usual roosting-time of other birds, augments the
suspicion they entertain of these feline hunters. From com-
plaints and cries of alarm, the Thrush sometimes threatens
blows; and though evening has perhaps set in, the smaller
birds and cackling Robins re-echo their shrill chirpings and
complaints throughout an extensive wood, until the nocturnal
monster has to seek safety in a distant flight. Their notes are
most frequent in the latter end of summer and autumn, crying
in a sort of wailing quiver, not very unlike the whining of a
puppy dog, 40, hd hd hé hé ho ho, proceeding from high and
clear to a low guttural shake or trill. These notes, at little in-
tervals, are answered by some companion, and appear to be
chiefly a call of recognition from young of the same brood, or
pairs who wish to discover each other after having been sepa-
RED OWL. 59
rated while dozing in the day. On moonlight evenings this
slender wailing is kept up nearly until midnight.
Red Owl. — From the very satisfactory and careful observa-
tions of Dr. Ezra Michener, of New Garden, Chester County,
Pennsylvania, published in the eighth volume of the Journal of
the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, it appears
certain that the Red and Gray “ Screech Owls’”’ of the United
States are specifically distinct ; he has observed that the Red
Owls rear young of the same color, and that the Gray Owls
of the preceding species have also young which are gray and
mottled from the very nest. Still different as they are in
plumage, the habits of the species are nearly alike. The
present inhabits and breeds in most parts of the United States.
In Pennsylvania they are hatched by the latter end of May,
breeding in hollow trees. The eggs are about four.
I have had an opportunity of verifying all that Wilson re-
lates of the manners of this species in a Red or young Owl,
taken out of a hollow apple-tree, which I kept for some
months. A dark closet was his favorite retreat during the
day. In the evening he became very lively and restless, glid-
ing across the room in which he was confined, with a side-
long, noiseless flight, as if wafted by the air alone. At times
he clung to the wainscot, and, unable to turn, he brought his
head round to his back, so as to present, by the aid of his
brilliant eyes, a most spectral and unearthly appearance. As
the eyes of all the Owls, according to Wilson, are fixed im-
movably in the socket by means of a many cleft capsular liga-
ment, this provision for the free versatile motion of the head
appears necessary. When approached towards evening, he
appeared strongly engaged in reconnoitring the object, blow-
ing with a hissing noise (shay, shay, shay), common to other
species, and stretching out his neck with a waving, lateral
motion, in a threatening attitude, and, on a nearer approach,
made a snapping with the bill, produced by striking together
both mandibles, as they are equally movable. He was a very
expert mouse-catcher, swallowed his prey whole, and then,
after some time, ejected from the bill the bones, skin, and
60 BIRDS OF PREY.
hair, in pellets. He also devoured large flies, which at this
time came into the room in great numbers; and even the dry
parts of these were also ejected from the stomach without di-
gestion. A pet of this species, which Dr. Michener had,
drank frequently, and was accustomed to wash every day in
a basin of cold water during the heat of summer.
Nuttall, following Wilson and Audubon, treated the gray and
red phases of this bird as two distinct species, and wrote separate
biographies, which I insert in full. Some ornithologists have sup-
posed that the gray specimens were the young birds; but it has
been proved beyond question that the two phases are simply indi-
vidual variations of the same species. Gray and red birds have
been found in one nest, with both parents gray, or both red, or with
one of each color.
The Screech Owl is a resident of southern New England and
quite common. It breeds northward to the Maritime Provinces,
westward'to Minnesota and southward to the Gulf States. Prob-
ably southern New England is the northern limit of the bird’s
distribution in winter.
Note. — A smaller and darker race is found in South Carolina,
Georgia, and Florida, It is named FLorRIDA SCREECH OWL
(M. asio floridanus). In this race the reddish feathers wear a
richer rufous tint, and the gray are more deeply tinged with
brown.
eS
ST Sane
GREAT HORNED OWL.
CAT OWL.
BuBo VIRGINIANUS.
Cuar. Plumage very variable, of mottled black, light and dark
brown, buff, and tawny. A white band on the throat, and a white stripe
down the breast,—the latter sometimes obscure. Ear-tufts large and
conspicuous; legs and toes feathered. Length 18 to 25 inches.
Nest. Sometimes within a hollow tree, but usually on an upper limb.
A deserted nest of Crow or Hawk is often used, and then it isa clumsy,
bulky affair of sticks, lined with feathers.
Eggs. 2-3; white and nearly spherical ; 2.20 X 1.80.
This species, so nearly related to the Great Eared Owl of
Europe, is met with occasionally from Hudson’s Bay to
62 BIRDS OF PREY.
Florida, and in Oregon; it exists even beyond the tropics,
being very probably the same bird described by Marcgrave as
inhabiting the forests of Brazil. All climates are alike to this
Eagle of the night, the king of the nocturnal tribe of American
birds. The aboriginal inhabitants of the country dread his
boding howl, dedicating his effigies to their solemnities, and, as
if he were their sacred bird of Minerva, forbid the mockery of
his ominous, dismal, and almost supernatural cries. His favor-
ite resort, in the dark and impenetrable swampy forests, where
he dwells in chosen solitude secure from the approach of every
enemy, agrees with the melancholy and sinister traits of his
character. To the surrounding feathered race he is the Pluto
of the gloomy wilderness, and would scarcely be known out of
the dismal shades where he hides, but to his victims, were he
as silent as he is solitary. Among the choking, loud, guttural
sounds which he sometimes utters in the dead of night, and
with a suddenness which always alarms, because of his noiseless
approach, is the ’waugh ho / 'waugh hé/ which, Wilson re-
marks, was often uttered at the instant of sweeping down
around his camp-fire. Many kinds of Owls are similarly daz-
zled and attracted by fire-lights, and occasionally finding, no
doubt, some offal or flesh thrown out by those who encamp in
the wilderness, they come round the nocturnal blaze with other
motives than barely those of curiosity. The solitary travellers
in these wilds, apparently scanning the sinister motive of his
visits, pretend to interpret his address into “’Ji’ho ’cooks for
you ai//” and with a strong guttural pronunciation of the final
syllable, to all those who have heard this his common cry, the
resemblance of sound is well hit, and instantly recalls the
ghastly serenade of his nocturnal majesty in a manner which
is not easily forgotten. The shorter cry which we have
mentioned makes no inconsiderable approach to that uttered
by the European brother of our species, as given by Buffon,
namely, ’he-hoo, ’hoo-hoo, boo-hoo, etc. The Greeks called this
transatlantic species Ayas, either from its note or from the
resemblance this bore to the bellowing of the ox. The Latin
name Budo has also reference to the same note of this noc-
GREAT HORNED OWL. 63
turnal bird. According to Frisch, who kept one of these birds
alive, its cries varied according to circumstances ; when hungry
it had a muling cry like PaAd. I have remarked the young,
probably, of our species utter the same low, quailing cry, while
yet daylight, as it sat on the low branch of a tree; the sound
of both is, at times, also not unlike that made by the Hawks or
diurnal birds of prey. Indeed, in gloomy weather I have seen
our species on the alert, flying about many hours before dark,
and uttering his call of ’40 ko, ko ké ho. Their usual prey is
young rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, Quails, and small birds of
various kinds ; and when these resources fail or diminish, they
occasionally prowl pretty boldly around the farm-yard in quest
of Chickens, which they seize on the roost. Indeed the Euro-
pean Horned Owl frequently contends with the Buzzard for its
prey, and generally comes off conqueror; blind and infuriate
with hunger, one of these has been known to dart even upon
a man, as if for conflict, and was killed in the encounter. My
friend Dr. Boykin, of Milledgeville, in Georgia, assured me that
one of our own daring nocturnal adventurers, prowling round
his premises, saw a cat dozing on the roof of a smoke-house,
and supposing grimalkin a more harmless, rabbit-like animal
than appeared in the sequel, blindly snatched her up in his
talons ; but finding he had caught a Tartar, it was not long be-
fore he allowed puss once more to tread the ground. In
England the same error was committed by an Eagle, who,
after a severe conflict with a cat he had carried into the air,
was at length brought to the ground before he could disengage
himself from the feline grasp.
An Owl of this species, which I have observed in a cage,
appeared very brisk late in the morning, hissed and blew when
approached with a stick, and dashed it it very heedlessly with
his bill; he now and then uttered a ’£o-k0h, and was pretty
loud in his call at an earlier hour. When approached, he cir-
cularly contracted the iris of the eyes to obtain a clearer view
of the threatened object ; he also listened with great quickness
to any sound which occurred near his prison, and eyed the
dying Pigeons, which passed by at some distance, with a scruti-
64 BIRDS OF PREY.
nizing and eager glance. When fed he often had the habit of
hiding away his superfluous provision.
As far as I have been able to observe the retiring manners
of this recluse, he slumbers out the day chiefly in the dark tops
of lofty trees. In these, according to Wilson, he generally be-
gins to build in the month of May, though probably earlier in
the Southern States. The nest is usually placed in the fork of
a tree, made of a considerable pile of sticks, and lined with
dry leaves and some feathers ; and, as a saving of labor, some-
times they select a hollow tree for the purpose.
This Owl is usually found in woods of rather large growth; but
Nuttall slightly exaggerated in naming the “ dark and impenetrable
swampy forest” as its “favorite resort.” Throughout the Mari-
time Provinces it is found on the outskirts of settlements, as well
as in the wilderness.
An interesting account of the habits of this species in captivity,
from the note-book of Mr. James W. Banks, of St. John, N. B.,
appeared in “ The Auk” for April, 1884.
Nore. — There are two geographical races of this species that
should be named here. The Dusky HoRNED OWL (2B. virgi-
nianus saturatus),an extremely dark form, occurs in Labrador, and
is found also on the coast of the Northwest. The WrsTERN
HorneED Owt (8B. virginianus subarcticus), a light-gray form, is
usually restricted to the middle faunal province, but has been taken
in Illinois and Wisconsin.
GREAT GRAY OWL.
SCOTIAPTEX CINEREA.
Cuar. Above, sooty brown mottled with irregular bars of dull grav;
below, paler tints of same colors in wavy stripes. No ear-tufts. The
largest of the Owls. Length. 23 to 30 inches.
Nest. Ina tree.
£ggs. 2-3; white; 2.15 X 1.70.
This is the largest American species known, and if the S.
lapponica, common also to the Arctic circle, and seldom leav-
ing it, being only accidental about Lake Superior, and occa-
GREAT GRAY OWL. 65
sionally seen in Massachusetts in the depth of severe winters.
One was caught perched on a wood-pile, in a state of listless
inactivity, in the morning after daylight, at Marblehead, in
February, 1831. This individual survived for several months,
and showed a great partiality for fish and birds. At times he
uttered a tremulous cry or 2d hd hé hd hoo, not very dissimilar
to that of the Mottled Owl. At Hudson’s Bay and Labrador
these Owls reside the whole year, and were found in the Ore-
gon territory by Mr. Townsend. ‘They associate in pairs, fly
very low, and feed on mice and hares, which they seize with
such muscular vigor as sometimes to sink into the snow after
them a foot deep. With ease they are able to carry off the
alpine hare alive in their talons. In Europe the species ap-
pears wholly confined to the desert regions of Lapland, two or
three stragglers being all that have been obtained out of that
country by naturalists.
Dr. Richardson says that it is by no means a rare bird in the
fur countries, being an inhabitant of all the woody districts
lying between Lake Superior and latitudes 67° or 68° and
between Hudson’s Bay and the Pacific. It is common on
the borders of Great Bear Lake ; and there, and in the higher
parallels of latitude, it must pursue its prey, during the summer
months, by daylight. It keeps, however, within the woods, and
does not frequent the barren grounds, like the Snowy Owl, nor
is it so often met with in broad daylight as the Hawk Owl, but
hunts principally when the sun is low, — indeed, it is only at such
times, when the recesses of the woods are deeply shadowed,
that the American hare and the marine animals on which the
Cinereous Owl chiefly preys, come forth to feed. On the 23d
of May I discovered a nest of this Owl, built on the top of a
lofty balsam poplar, of sticks, and lined with feathers. It con-
tained three young, which were covered with a whitish down.
The capture in New England of several examples of this species
has been recorded. During the winter of 1889-90, a number were
seen along the northern border of these States and in the southern
portions of Canada. Mr. Mcllwraith reported that a large number
had been taken near Hamilton.
VOL. I. — 5
LONG-EARED OWL.
ASIO. WILSONIANUS.
CuHar. Above, finely mottled with dark brown, dull buff, and gray ;
breast similar, but of reddish tint; belly paler, with dark markings. Ear-
tufts large; toes feathered. Length 15 inches.
Nest. Usually in a tree; of twigs, lined with grass and feathers.
Sometimes a deserted Crow’s or Hawk’s nest is used.
Eggs. 3-6; white and oval; 1.65 X 1.30.
This species, like several others of the genus, appears to be
almost a denizen of the world, being found from Hudson’s Bay
to the West Indies and Brazil, throughout Europe, in Africa,
northern Asia, and probably China, in all which countries
it appears to be resident, but seems more abundant in certain
places in winter, following rats and mice to their retreats in or
near houses and barns. It also preys upon small birds, and
in summer destroys beetles. It commonly lodges in ruined
buildings, the caverns of rocks, or in hollow trees. It defends
LONG-EARED OWL, 67
itself with great spirit from the attacks of larger birds, making
a ready use of its bill and talons, and when wounded is dan-
gerous and resolute.
The Long-Eared Owl seldom, if ever, takes the trouble
to construct a nest of its own; it seeks shelter amidst ruins
and in the accidental hollows of trees, and rests content with
the dilapidated nursery of the Crow, the Magpie, that of the
Wild Pigeon, of the Buzzard, or even the tufted retreat of the
squirrel. True to these habits, Wilson found one of these
Owls sitting on her eggs in the deserted nest of the Qua Bird,
on the 25th of April, six or seven miles below Philadelphia, in
the midst of the gloomy enswamped forest which formed the
usual resort of these solitary Herons. So well satisfied was she
in fact with her company, and so peaceable, that one of the Quas
had a nest in the same tree with the Owl. The young, until
nearly fully grown, are grayish white, and roost close together
on a large branch during the day, sheltered and hid amidst the
thickest foliage ; they acquire their natural color in about fifteen
days. Besides mice and rats, this species also preys on field-
mice, moles, and beetles. The plaintive cry or hollow moan-
ing made by this bird, “clow cloud,” incessantly repeated
during the night, so as to be troublesome where they frequent,
is very attractive to the larger birds, who out of curiosity and
for persecution assemble around this species when employed
as a decoy, and are thus shot or caught by limed twigs.
This Owl occurs throughout temperate North America, and is a
common resident everywhere excepting along the northern limit of
its range, where it is less abundant, and appears in summer only.
SHORT-EARED OWL.
ASIO ACCIPITRINUS.
Cuar. Above, mottled with dark brown, tawny, and buffish white ;
below, paler; feet feathered ; ear-tufts inconspicuous. Some examples
are much paler, as if the colors had faded. Length about 15 inches.
Nest. On the ground amid tall grass, and composed of a few twigs and
a few feathers.
L£ggs. 3-6; white and oval; 1.60 X 1.20.
This is another of those nocturnal wanderers which now and
then arrive amongst us from the northern regions, where they
usually breed. It comes to Hudson’s Bay from the South
about May, where it makes a nest of dry grass on the ground,
and, as usual, has white eggs. After rearing its brood it de-
parts for the South in September, and in its migrations has
been met with as far as New Jersey, near Philadelphia, where,
according to Wilson, it arrives in November and departs in
April. Pennant remarks that it has been met with in the
SHORT-EARED OWL. 69
southern continent of America at the Faikland Islands. It is
likewise spread through every part of Europe, and is common
in all the forests of Siberia; it also visits the Orkney Islands
and Iceland, and we have observed it at Atooi, one of the
Sandwich Islands, in the Pacific, as well as in the territory of
Oregon. In England it appears and disappears with the mi-
grations of the Woodcock. Its food is almost exclusively mice,
for which it watches, seated on a stump, with all the vigilance
of a cat, listening attentively to the low squeak of its prey,
to which it is so much alive as to be sometimes brought in
sight by imitating the sound. It is readily attracted by the
blaze of nocturnal fires, and on such occasions has sometimes
had the blind temerity to attack men, and come so close to
combat as to be knocked down with sticks. When wounded
_ it also displays the same courageous ferocity, so as to be
dangerous to approach. In dark and cloudy weather it some-
times ventures, abroad by daylight, takes short flights, and
when sitting and looking sharply round, it erects the short, ear-
like tufts of feathers on the head which are at other times
scarcely visible. Like all other migrating birds, roving indif-
ferently over the country in quest of food alone, these Owls
have sometimes been seen in considerable numbers together ;
Bewick even remarks that 28 of them had been counted at
once in a turnip-field in England. They are also numerous in
Holland in the months of September and October, and in all
countries are serviceable for the destruction they make among
house and field mice, their principal food. Although they
usually breed in high ground, they have also been observed in
Europe to nest in marshes, in the middle of the high herbage,
—a situation chosen both for safety and solitude.
This is one of the commonest of the New England Owls, and
has been supposed to breed in all the suitable marsh land along
the coast, but Mr. William Brewster states that he knows “of no
authentic record of its breeding in any part of New England within
the past ten years.” It ranges north to the fur countries, south to
the Gulf States and beyond, and west to the Pacific.
BARRED OWL.
HOOT OWL.
SYRNIUM NEBULOSUM.
Cuar. Above, brown barred, spotted, and striped with dull gray or
tawny ; below, similar colors of paler tints; face, gray stripes; tail
barred ; iris brownish black; bill yellow. Length 1934 to 24 inches.
Easily distinguished from all other species by its dark eyes.
Nest. Usually in a hollow tree, but often a deserted nest of Crow or
Hawk is re-lined and used.
Zegs. 2-4; white and nearly spherical ; 1.95 X 1.65.
This species inhabits the northern regions of both the old
and new continent, but with this difference, as in the Bald
Eagle, that in the ancient continent it seldom wanders be-
yond the Arctic circle, being found no farther to the south than
Sweden and Norway; while in America it dwells and breeds
at least in all the intermediate region from Hudson’s Bay to
Florida, being considerably more numerous even than other
species throughout the swamps and dark forests of the South-
BARRED OWL. 71
ern States. Its food is principally rabbits, squirrels, Grouse,
Quails, rats, mice, and frogs. From necessity, as well as choice,
these birds not unfrequently appear around the farm-house and
garden in quest of the poultry, particularly young chickens.
At these times they prowl abroad towards evening, and fly low
and steadily about, as if beating for their prey. In Alabama,
Georgia, West Florida, and Louisiana, where they abound, they
are often to be seen abroad by day, particularly in cloudy
weather, and at times even soar and fly with all the address of
diurnal birds of prey. Their loud guttural call of ’2oh ’koh ’ho
26, hé, or ’whah ’whah’whah ’whah-aa, may be heard occasion-
ally both by day and night, and as a note of recognition, is
readily answered when mimicked, so as to decoy the original
towards the sound. One which I received, in the month of
December (1830), was hovering over a covey of Quails in the
day-time ; and though the sportsman had the same aim, the
Owl also joined the chase, and was alone deterred from his
sinister purpose by receiving the contents of the gun intended
only for the more favorite game. When the young leave the
nest they still keep together for mutual warmth and safety in
the high, shaded branches of the trees where they have prob-
ably been hatched. On being approached by the parents,
they utter a hissing call audible for some distance. According
to Audubon, when kept in captivity they prove very useful
in catching mice. ‘Their flesh is also eaten by the creoles of
Louisiana, and considered as palatable.
An interesting article, containing the most valuable information
regarding the habits of this Owl that has yet been published, ap-
peared in “ The Auk” for April, 1890. The writer, Mr. Frank Bolles,
kept a pair for several years; and one of these, having broken its
wing, was reduced to such subjection that Mr. Bolles was enabled
to make use of it in hunting for other birds, and thus gained
an insight into the bird’s methods that no other naturalist has
equalled.
Nore. — The FLoripa BARRED OWL (S. xebulosum alleni),
a somewhat darker variety, is restricted to the Gulf States and
Florida.
72 BIRDS OF PREY.
SAW-WHET OWL.
ACADIAN OWL.
NYcCTALA ACADICA.
Cuar. Above, dark grayish brown spotted with white; below, white,
spotted with reddish brown; tail short, with three narrow bands of white
spots. Young almost solid brown of reddish tint, and face with white
markings. Length 74 to 8% inches.
Nest. Ahole in a tree (often in a hole that has been deserted by Wood-
peckers), lined with feathers.
Eggs. 3-6 (usually 4); white; 1.20 X 1.00.
This very small species is believed to be an inhabitant of the
northern regions of both continents, from which in Europe it
seldom wanders, being even very rare in the North of Germany.
In the United States it is not uncommon as far to the south as
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, where it is resident, having ap-
parently a predilection for the sea-coast, living and nesting in
the pine-trees or in the clefts of rocks, and laying 4 or 5
white eggs. It is generally nocturnal; and if accidentally
abroad by day, it flies quickly to some shelter from the light.
It is very solitary in its habits, living wholly in the evergreen
forests, and coming out only towards night or early in the
morning in search of mice, beetles, moths, and grasshoppers.
The note of this species is very different from that of the
Strix passerina, or Little Owl, to which it is nearly related.
This latter kind has a reiterated cry, when flying, like podpod
pooped. Another note, which it utters sitting, appears so much
like the human voice calling out aimé, hémé, édmé, that accord-
ing to Buffon, it deceived one of his servants, who lodged in
one of the old turrets of the castle of Montbard ; and waking
him up at three o’clock in the morning, with this singular cry,
he opened the window and called out, “Who's there below ?
My name is not EpMe, but Peter /”
The Saw-whet — called so from its note, which resembles the
filing of a saw — breeds from the Middle States northward to about
latitude 50°, but is not an abundant bird anywhere.
RICHARDSON’S OWL.
SPARROW OWL.
NYCTALA TENGMALMI RICHARDSONI.
Cuar. Above, dark brown spotted with white; beneath, white streaked
with brown; legs and feet buffy, sometimes spotted. Similar to the Saw-
whet, but with more white on head and neck. Length 9 to 12 inches.
Nest. Ina tree; of grass and leaves.
Eggs. 2-4; white; 1.35 X 1.15.
This is a small and nocturnal species, and so much so that
when it accidentally wanders abroad by day it is so much daz-
zled by the light as to be rendered unable to make its escape
when surprised, and may then be readily caught by the hand.
Its nocturnal cry consists of a single melancholy note repeated
at the long intervals of a minute or two: and it is one of the
superstitious practices of the Indians to whistle when they hear
it; and if the bird remains silent after this interrogatory chal-
lenge, the speedy death of the inquirer is augured ; and hence
among the Crees it has acquired the omnious appellation of
the Bird of Death (Cheepomeséés). According to M. Hutch-
ins, it builds a nest of grass half way up a pine-tree, and lays
74 BIRDS OF PREY.
2 eggs in the month of May. It feeds on mice and beetles.
It probably inhabits all the forests of the fur countries from
Great Slave Lake to the United States. On the banks of the
Saskatchewan it is so common that its voice is heard almost
every night by the traveller wherever he may select his camp.
It inhabits the woods along the streams of the Rocky Moun-
tains down to the Oregon, and betrays but little suspicion
when approached.
Richardson’s Owl is usually a rare winter visitor to the Maritime
Provinces; but Mr. C. B. Cory found it common and breeding on
the Magdalene Islands, and a few examples have been taken in
New Brunswick in summer.
It is common on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
though rare near the city of Quebec; it occurs sparingly in winter
along the northern border of New England and in southern Onta-
rio, and occasionally straggles to Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Thompson reports it common in Manitoba, and it is found through-
out the fur country. Mr. Nelson reports these birds breeding in
northern Alaska, where they occupy the deserted nests of other
birds — usually on bushes.
Dr. Merriam, on the authority of Mr. Comeau, of Point de Monts,
describes the cry of this Owl as “a low liquid note that resembles
the sound produced by water slowly dropping from a height.”
BARN OWL.
STRIX PRATINCOLA.
Cuar. Colors extremely variable. Above, usually yellowish tawny or
orange brown, clouded with darker tints and spotted with white; beneath,
buffish with dark spots; face white, tinged with tawny; bill whitish.
Some examples have but little marking on the back, and the face and
lower parts are pure white. Easily distinguished from other Owls by
peculiar facial disc. Length 15 to 21 inches.
Vest. In barn or church tower or hollow tree, — usually the last. The
eggs are laid upon a mat of loosely laid twigs and weed-stems or grass.
Legs. 3-11; white; 1.75 X 1.30.
There is scarcely any part of the world in which this com-
mon species is not found ; extending even to both sides of the
equator, it is met with in New Holland, India, and Brazil. It
is perhaps nowhere more rare than in this part of the United
States, and is only met with in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
in cold and severe winters. Nor is it ever so familiar as in
Europe, frequenting almost uniformly the hollows of trees.
76 BIRDS OF PREY.
In the old continent it is almost domestic, inhabiting even pop-
ulous towns, and is particularly attached to towers, belfries,
the roofs of churches, and other lofty buildings, which afford
it a retreat during the day. The elegant, graphic lines of
Gray, describing its romantic haunt, are in the recollection of
every one, —
“From yonder ivy-mantled tower
The moping Owl does to the moon complain
Of such as, wandering near her secret bower,
Molest her ancient solitary reign.”
Superstition laid aside, these Owls render essential service to
the farmer by destroying mice, rats, and shrews, which infest
houses and barns; they also catch bats and beetles. They
likewise clear churches of such vermin, and now and then,
pressed by hunger, they have been known to sip, or rather eat,
the oil from the lamps when congealed by cold. A still more
extraordinary appetite, attributed to them, is that of catch-
ing fish, on which they fed their voracious young. In autumn
also they have been known to pay a nightly visit to the places
where springes were laid for Woodcocks and Thrushes. The
former they killed and ate on the spot ; but sometimes carried
off the Thrushes and smaller birds, which, like mice, they either
swallowed entire, rejecting the indigestible parts by the bill,
or if too large, they plucked off the feathers and then bolted
them whole, or only took them down piecemeal.
In fine weather they venture out into the neighboring woods
at night, returning to their usual retreat at the approach of
morning. When they first sally from their holes, their eyes
hardly well opened, they fly tumbling along almost to the
ground, and usually proceed side-ways in their course. In
severe seasons, 5 or 6, probably a family brood, are discov-
ered in the same retreat, or concealed in the fodder of the
barn, where they find shelter, warmth, and food. The Barn
Owl drops her eggs in the bare holes of walls, in the joists
of houses, or in the hollows of decayed trees, and spreads
no lining to receive them; they are 3 to 5 in number, of a
whitish color, and rather long than round.
BARN OWL. ed
When out abroad by day, like most of the other species,
they are numerously attended by the little gossiping and insult-
ing birds of the neighborhood ; and to add to their distraction,
it is not an uncommon practice, in the North of England, for
boys to set up a shout and follow the Owl, who becomes so
deafened and stunned as at times nearly to fall down, and
thus become an easy prey to his persecutors. And the prob-
ability of such an effect will not be surprising when we con-
sider the delicacy and magnitude of the auditory apparatus of
this bird, the use of which is probably necessary to discover
the otherwise silent retreats of their tiny prey. When taken
captive, according to Buffon, they do not long survive the loss
of liberty, and pertinaciously refuse to eat, —a habit very differ-
ent from that of the young Red Owl, who allowed himself to
feed from my hand, and tugged greedily and tamely at the
morsel held out to him until he got it in his possession ; small
birds also he would instantly grasp in his talons, and hiss and
shaié, shaié, when any attempt was made to deprive him of his
booty.
The young of this species, when they have just attained their
growth, are, in France, considered good food, as they are then
fat and plump. When first hatched they are so white and
downy as almost entirely to resemble a powder puff. At
Hudson’s Bay a large Owl, resembling the cinereous, is like-
wise eaten, and esteemed a delicacy, according to Pennant.
The Barn Owl occurs regularly from the Middle States south-
ward, though it is not abundant north of South Carolina. A few
examples have been taken in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and
Mr. MclIlwraith reports that four have been taken in Ontario.
FLORIDA BURROWING OWL.
SPEOTYTO CUNICULARIA FLORIDANA.
Cuar. Above, grayish brown spotted and barred with white; below,
pale buffish barred with brown; a patch of white on the breast; legs long
and slender, and covered with buffish bristles. Length about ro inches.
West, At the end of a burrow in the ground, lined with grass and
feathers.
£ggs. 4-10; white, varying in shape, usually nearly round; 1.25
X 1.00.
This variety, which is found in Florida only, is smaller and lighter-
colored than is the well-known bird of the prairies. In habits the
two differ little, the Florida birds living in communities, — sometimes
several pairs in one burrow, — and feeding on mice and small birds.
The tales related of Burrowing Owls and rattlesnakes occupying
the same burrow are “hunter’s tales,” and lack confirmation.
Note. — The Western form of the BURROWING OWL (5S. cun?-
cularia hypogea, has been taken in Massachusetts; but its occur-
rence to the eastward of the Great Plains is accidental.
MEADOWLARK.
FIELD LARK.
STURNELLA MAGNA.
Cuar. Above, grayish brown barred with black; crown with medial
stripe of buff; lateral tail-feathers white; below yellow, sides darker
and spotted with brown; black crescent on the breast. Length about
10 inches.
West. Made of dry grass and placed amid a tuft of long grass in
a meadow ; often covered, and the opening placed at the side.
Leggs. 4-6; white, thickly spotted with reddish brown and lilac;
1.15 X 80.
This well-known harmless inhabitant of meadows and o/d
fields is not only found in every part of the United States, but
appears to be a resident in all the intermediate region, from
the frigid latitude of 53° and the territory of Oregon, to
the mild table-land of Mexico and the savannahs of Guiana.
In the winter these birds abound in Alabama and Western
80 SINGING BIRDS.
Florida ; so that in some degree, like the Jays and the legiti-
mate Starlings, they partially migrate in quest of food during
the severity of the weather in the colder States. It is not, how-
ever, improbable but that most of the migrating families of these
birds, which we find at this season, have merely travelled east-
ward from the cold Western plains that are annually covered
with snow. They are now seen in considerable numbers in and
round the salt-marshes, roving about in flocks of ten to thirty
or more, seeking the shelter of the sea-coast, though not in
such dense flocks as the true Starlings ; these, in the manner of
our common Blackbirds, assemble in winter like dark clouds,
moving as one body, and when about to descend, perform pro-
gressive circular evolutions in the air like a phalanx in the~
order of battle ; and when settled, blacken the earth with their
numbers, as well as stun the ears with their chatter. Like
Crows also, they seek the shelter of reed-marshes to pass the
night, and in the day take the benefit of every sunny and shel-
tered covert.
Our Starling, like the American Quail, is sociable, and some-
what gregarious; and though many, no doubt, wander some
distance after food, yet a few, in Pennsylvania as well as in
this rigorous climate, may be seen in the market after the
ground is covered with snow. Wilson even observed them
in the month of February, during a deep snow, among the
heights of the Alleghanies, gleaning their scanty pittance on
the road, in company with the small Snow Birds.
The flesh of our bird is white, and for size and delicacy it is
considered little inferior to the Partridge ; but that of the Euro-
pean species is black and bitter.
The flight of these Larks is laborious and steady, like that
of the Quail, with the action of the wings renewed at short in-
tervals. They often alight on trees, and select usually the main
branches or topmost twigs on which to perch, though their food
is commonly collected from the ground. At various times of
the day, and nearly through the winter, in the milder States,
their very peculiar lisping, long, and rather melancholy note is
heard at short intervals; and without the variations, which are
1. Baltimore Oriole. 3. Red-winged Blackbird .
5. American Osprey.
2. Meadowlark. 4. Bobolink.
MEADOW LARK. 8I
not inconsiderable, bears some resemblance to the slender sing-
ing and affected pronunciation of é¢ sé déé ah, and psédee etsilio,
or ai sedtiio in a slow, wiry, shrill tone, and sometimes differ-
ently varied and shortened. The same simple ditty is repeated
in the spring, when they associate in pairs; the female also, as
she rises or descends, at this time frequently gives a reiterated
guttural chirp, or hurried twitter, like that of the female Red-
winged Blackbird. I have likewise at times heard them utter
notes much more musical and vigorous, not very unlike the fine
tones of the Sky Lark; but I can by no means compare our
lisping songster with that blithe “harbinger of day.” There
is a monotonous affectation in the song of our Lark which
appears indeed somewhat allied to the jingling, though not
unpleasant, tune of the Starling. The Stare, moreover, had the
faculty of imitating human speech (which ours has not, as far
as we yet know), and could indifferently speak even French,
English, German, Latin, and Greek, or any other language
within his hearing, and repeat short phrases ; so that “‘/ can’t
get out, [ can't get out, says the Starling,” which accidentally
afforded Sterne such a beautiful and pathetic subject for his
graphic pen, was probably no fiction.
At the time of pairing, our Lark exhibits a little of the
jealous disposition of his tribe ; and having settled the dispute
which decides his future condition, he retires from his fra-
ternity, and, assisted by his mate, selects a thick tuft for the
reception of his nest, which is pretty compact, made of dry,
wiry grass, and lined with finer blades of the same. It is
usually formed with a covered entrance in the surrounding
withered grass, through which a hidden and almost winding
path is made, and generally so well concealed that the nest is
only to be found when the bird is flushed.
The eggs are four or five, white, with a very faint tint of
blue, almost round, and rather large, for the size of the bird,
marked with numerous small reddish-brown spots, more nu-
merous at the greater end, blended with other lighter and
darker points and small spots of the same. They probably
often raise two broods in the season. About the time of
VOL. I. — 6
82 SINGING BIRDS.
pairing, in the latter end of the month of April, they have
a call, like ’¢shzp, cwee, the latter syllable in a fine and slender
tone, — something again allied to the occasional notes of the
Red-winged Blackbird, to which genus (/¢éerus) our Sturnella
is not very remotely allied. Towards the close of June little
else is heard from the species but the noisy twitter of the
female, preceded by a hoarse and sonorous 77’smp or 77 ‘tp, ac-
companied by an impatient raising and lowering of the wings,
and, in short, all the unpleasant and petulant actions of a
brood-hen, as she is now assiduously engaged in fostering
and supporting her helpless and dependent offspring.
Their food consists of the larve of various insects, as well as
worms, beetles, and grass-seeds, to assist the digestion of
which they swallow a considerable portion of gravel. It does
not appear that these birds add berries or fruits of any kind
to their fare, like the Starling, but usually remain the whole
summer in moist meadows, and in winter retire to the open
grassy woods, having no inclination to rob the orchard or gar-
den, and, except in winter, are of a shy, timid, and retiring
disposition.
In the East the Meadowlark seldom ranges north of latitude 45°.
I met with but one example in New Brunswick, and learn that it is
rare near Montreal. It is common around Ottawa and throughout
southern Ontario. In winter these birds are found occasionally as
far north as southern New England and Illinois.
Note. —A larger and paler form, named the WESTERN MEaD-
OWLARK (S. magua neglecta), occurs in Wisconsin, Illinois, and
Iowa; and Mr. W. E. D. Scott has lately announced that the birds
found in southwestern Florida should be referred to mexicana, the
MEXICAN MEADOWLARK, which is the smallest of the three.
A stray STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) is said to have wandered
from Europe to Greenland; and some sixty were imported and
released in Central Park, New York, in 1890. They are thriving
and increasing, giving evidence of ability to withstand the winter
storm.
A TROUPIAL (Jederus icterus), a South American bird, was
taken by Audubon near Charleston, S. C.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
GOLDEN ROBIN. HANG-NEST. FIRE BIRD.
IcTERUS GALBULA.
Cuar. Male: head, neck, throat, back, wings, and greater part of
tail black; wing-coverts and secondaries tipped with white; other parts
orange. Bill and feet blue black. Female: smaller and paler, some-
times the black replaced by olive brown or grayish orange. Young
similar to female. Length 7 to 8 inches.
Nest. Pensile and purse-shaped, 6 to 8 inches deep, suspended from
extremity of branch ro to $0 feet from the ground, composea of yarn,
string, horsehair, grass, etc., woven into a compact texture.
Eggs. 4-6; dull white, blotched irregularly with dark brown ; .go X. 60.
84 SINGING BIRDS.
These gay, lively, and brilliant strangers, leaving their hi-
bernal retreat in South America, appear in New England about
the first week in May, and more than a month earlier in Loui-
siana, according,to the observations of Audubon. They were
not seen, however, in West Florida by the middle of March,
although vegetation had then so far advanced that the oaks
were in leaf, and the white flowering cornel was in full
blossom.
It is here that they pass the most interesting period of their
lives; and their arrival is hailed as the sure harbinger of
approaching summer. Full of life and activity, these fiery
sylphs are now seen vaulting and darting incessantly through
the lofty boughs of our tallest trees; appearing and vanishing
with restless inquietude, and flashing at quick intervals into
_ sight from amidst the tender waving foliage, they seem like
living gems intended to decorate the verdant garment of the
new-clad forest. But the gay Baltimore is neither idle nor
capricious ; the beautiful small beetles and other active-winged
insects on which he now principally feeds are in constant mo-
tion, and require perpetual address in their capture. At first
the males only arrive, but without appearing in flocks; their
mates are yet behind, and their social delight is incomplete.
They appear to feel this temporary bereavement, and in shrill
and loud notes they fife out their tender plaints in quick suc-
cession, as they pry and spring through the shady boughs for
their tiny and eluding prey. They also now spend much time
in the apple-trees, often sipping honey from the white blossoms,
over which they wander with peculiar delight, continually roving
amidst the sweet and flowery profusion. The mellow whistled
notes which they are heard to trumpet from the high branches
of our tallest trees and gigantic elms resemble, at times,
‘tshippe-tshayia too too, and sometimes ‘¢shippee ‘tshippee
(lispingly), oo Zoo (with the two last syllables loud and full).
These notes are also varied by some birds so as to resemble
"tsh 'tsh tsheetshoo tshoo tshoo,| also ’tsh tsheefa 'tsheefa tsheefa
1The first three of these notes are derived from the Summer Yellow Bird,
though not its most usual tones.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 85
tshoo and 'R tif & tif a tif a téa kérry ;) another bird I have
occasionally heard to call for hours, with some little variation,
ti téo téo téo teo too, in a loud, querulous, and yet almost lu-
dicrously merry strain. At other intervals the sensations of
solitude seem to stimulate sometimes a loud and_ interrog-
atory note, echoed forth at intervals, as &’rry kerry? and
terminating plaintively 2’rry R’rry k’rry, ta; the voice falling
off very slenderly in the last long syllable, which is apparently
an imitation from the Cardinal Grosbeak, and the rest is de-
rived from the Crested Titmouse, whom they have already
heard in concert as they passed through the warmer States.
Another interrogatory strain which I heard here in the spring
of 1830 was precisely, ’yzp k’rry, ‘vip, 'yip R’rry, very loud and
oft repeated. Another male went in his ordinary key, ¢shérry
tshérry, tshipee tsh’rry, — notes copied from the exhaustless stock
of the Carolina Wren (also heard on his passage), but modu-
lated to suit the fancy of our vocalist. The female likewise
sings, but less agreeably than the male. One which I had
abundant opportunity of observing, while busied in the toil of
weaving her complicated nest, every now and then, as a relief
from the drudgery in which she was solely engaged, sung, in a
sort of querulous and rather plaintive strain, the strange, un-
couth syllables, £4 ’kea kéwa, keka keka, the final tones loud
and vaulting, which I have little doubt were an imitation of the
discordant notes of some South American bird. For many
days she continued this tune at intervals without any variation.
The male, also while seeking his food in the same tree with his
mate, or while they are both attending on their unfledged
brood, calls frequently in a low, friendly whisper, ’¢ewaz?, tw’ tt.
Indeed, all the individuals of either sex appear pertinaciously
to adhere for weeks to the same quaint syllables which they
have accidentally collected.
This bird then, like the Starling, appears to have a taste for
mimicry, or rather for sober imitation. A Cardinal Grosbeak
happening, very unusually, to pay us a visit, his harmonious
1 The last phrase loud and ascending, the fea plaintive, and the last syllable
tender and echoing.
86 SINGING BIRDS.
and bold whistle struck upon the ear of a Baltimore with great
delight ; and from that moment his ordinary notes were laid
aside for ’wott, ’woit, ez, and other phrases previously foreign
to him for that season. I have likewise heard another individ-
ual exactly imitating the soft and somewhat plaintive vit yu,
vit yiu of the same bird, and in the next breath the ped/, or
call of Wilson’s Thrush ; also at times the earnest song of the
Robin. Indeed his variations and imitations have sometimes
led me to believe that I heard several new and melodious
birds, and I was only undeceived when I beheld his brilliant
livery. So various, in fact, are the individual phrases chanted
by this restless and lively bird that it is scarcely possible to fix
on any characteristic notes by which he may be recognized ;
his singular, loud, and almost plaintive tone, and a fondness
for harping long on the same string, are perhaps more peculiar
than any particular syllables which he may be heard to utter.
When alarmed or offended at being too closely watched or
approached, both male and female utter an angry, rattling zsher
tsh’r, or hiss, ¢sh’ tsh’ tsh’ 'tsh.
The beautiful Baltimore bird is only one of the tribe of true
Ictert, which, except the present and two following species,
remain within the tropical regions, or only migrate to short
distances in the rainy season. Ours wing their way even
into Canada as far as the 55th degree, and breed in every
intermediate region to the table-land of Mexico. A yellow
Brazilian species of the section of this genus, called cassicus,
according to Waterton inhabits also Demerara, where, like our
bird, he familiarly weaves his pendulous nest near the planter’s
house, suspending it from the drooping branches of trees, and
so low that it may be readily looked into even by the incu-
rious. Omnivorous like the Starling, he feeds equally on insects,
fruits, and seeds. He is called the Mocking Bird, and for hours
together, in gratitude as it were for protection, he serenades
the inhabitants with his imitative notes. His own song, though
short, is sweet and melodious. But hearing perhaps the yelp-
ing of the Toucan, he drops his native strain to imitate it, or
place it in ridicule by contrast. Again, he gives the cackling
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 87
cries of the Woodpecker, the bleating of the sheep; an inter-
val of his own melody, then probably a puppy dog or a Guinea-
fowl receives his usual attention: and the whole of this mim-
icry is accompanied by antic gestures indicative of the sport
and company which these vagaries afford him. Hence we see
that the mimicking talent of the Stare is inherent in this
branch of the gregarious family, and our own Baltimore, in a
humbler style, is no less delighted with the notes of his feathered
neighbors.
There is nothing more remarkable in the whole instinct of
our Golden Robin than the ingenuity displayed in the fabrica-
tion of its nest, which is, in fact, a pendulous cylindric pouch
of five to seven inches in depth, usually suspended from near
the extremities of the high, drooping branches of trees (such
as the elm, the pear or apple tree, wild-cherry, weeping-willow,
tulip-tree, or buttonwood). It is begun by firmly fastening
natural strings of the flax of the silk-weed, or swamp-holyhock,
or stout artificial threads, round two or more forked twigs,
corresponding to the intended width and depth of the nest.
With the same materials, willow down, or any accidental ravel-
lings, strings, thread, sewing-silk, tow, or wool, that may be
lying near the neighboring houses, or round the grafts of trees,
it interweaves and fabricates a sort of coarse cloth into the
form intended, towards the bottom of which is placed the
real nest, made chiefly of lint, wiry grass, horse and cow hair,
sometimes, in defect of hair, lining the interior with a mixture
of slender strips of smooth vine-bark, and rarely with a few
feathers, the whole being of a considerable thickness, and
more or less attached to the external pouch. Over the top,
the leaves, as they grow out, form a verdant and agreeable
canopy, defending the young from the sun and rain. There is
sometimes a considerable difference in the manufacture of
these nests, as well as in the materials which enter into their
composition. Both sexes seem to be equally adepts at this
sort of labor, and I have seen the female alone perform the
whole without any assistance, and the male also complete this
laborious task nearly without the aid of his consort, — who, how-
88 SINGING BIRDS.
ever, in general, is the principal worker. I have observed 4
nest made almost wholly of tow, which was laid out for the
convenience of a male bird, who with this aid completed his
labor in a very short time, and frequently sang in a very ludi-
crous manner while his mouth was loaded with a mass larger
than his head. So eager are these birds to obtain fibrous ma-
terials that they will readily tug at and even untie hard knots
made of tow. In Audubon’s magnificent plates a nest is rep-
resented as formed outwardly of the long-moss; where this
abounds, of course, the labor of obtaining materials must be
greatly abridged. The author likewise remarks that the whole
fabric consists almost entirely of this material, loosely inter-
woven, without any warm lining, —a labor which our ingenious
artist seems aware would be superfluous in the warm forests of
the lower Mississippi. A female, which I observed attentively,
carried off to her nest a piece of lamp-wick ten or twelve feet
long. This long string, and many other shorter ones, were left
hanging out for about a week before both the ends were wat-
tled into the sides of the nest. Some other little birds, making
use of similar materials, at times twitched these flowing ends,
and generally brought out the busy Baltimore from her occupa-
tion in great anger.
The haste and eagerness of one of these airy architects,
which I accidentally observed on the banks of the Susque-
hanna, appeared likely to prove fatal to a busy female who,
in weaving, got a loop round her neck ; and no sooner was she
disengaged from this snare than it was slipped round her feet,
and thus held her fast beyond the power of escape! The male
came frequently to the scene, now changed from that of joy
and hope into despair, but seemed wholly incapable of com-
prehending or relieving the distress of his mate. In a second
instance I have been told that a female has been observed
dead in the like predicament.
The eggs of this species are usually four or five, white, with
a faint, indistinct tint of bluish, and marked, chiefly at the
greater end, though sometimes scatteringly, with straggling,
serpentine, dark-brown lines and spots, and fainter hair streaks,
BALTIMORE ORIOLE, 89
looking sometimes almost like real hair, and occasionally lined
only, and without the spots. The period of incubation is four-
teen days. In Louisiana, according to Audubon, they fre-
quently raise two broods in the season, arriving in that country
with the opening of the early spring. Here they raise but a
single brood, whose long and tedious support in their lofty
cradle absorbs their whole attention; and at this interesting
period they seem, as it were, to live only to protect, cherish,
and educate their young. The first and general cry which the
infant brood utter while yet in the nest, and nearly able to
take wing, as well as for some days after, is a kind of #-did ¢é-
aid, te-did, kai-té-té-did, or té’té’ té’té ft ’t-did, which becomes
clamorous as the parents approach them with food. They soon
also acquire the scolding rattle and short notes which they
probably hear around them, such as peet-weet, the cry of the
spotted Sandpiper, and others, and long continue to be assidu-
ously fed and guarded by their very affectionate and devoted
parents. Unfortunately, this contrivance of instinct to secure
the airy nest from the depredations of rapacious monkeys, and
other animals which frequent trees in warm or mild climates,
is also occasionally attended with serious accidents, when the
young escape before obtaining the perfect use of their wings.
They cling, however, with great tenacity either to the nest or
neighboring twigs; yet sometimes they fall to the ground, and,
if not killed on the spot, soon become a prey to numerous
enemies. On such occasions it is painful to hear the plaints
and wailing cries of the parents. And when real danger offers,
the generous and brilliant male, though much the less queru-
lous of the two, steps in to save his brood at every hazard ; and
I have known one so bold in this hopeless defence as to suffer
himself to be killed, by a near approach with a stick, rather
than desert his offspring. Sometimes, after this misfortune, or
when the fell cat has devoured the helpless brood, day after
day the disconsolate parents continue to bewail their loss.
They almost forget to eat amidst their distress, and after leav-
ing the unhappy neighborhood of their bereavement, they still
come, at intervals, to visit and lament over the fatal spot, as if
90 SINGING BIRDS.
spell-bound by despair. If the season be not too far advanced,
the loss of their eggs is generally soon repaired by constructing
a second nest, in which, however, the eggs are fewer.
The true Oriole (O. galbula), which migrates into Africa,
and passes the breeding season in the centre of Europe, also
makes a pendulous nest, and displays great courage in the de-
fence of its young, being so attached to its progeny that the
female has been taken and conveyed to a cage on her eggs, on
which, with resolute and fatal instinct, she remained faithfully
sitting until she expired.
The Baltimore bird, though naturally shy and suspicious,
probably for greater security from more dangerous enemies,
generally chooses for the nest the largest and tallest spreading
trees near farm-houses, and along frequented lanes and roads ;
and trusting to the inaccessibleness of its ingenious mansion,
it works fearlessly and scarcely studies concealment. But
as soon as the young are hatched, here, towards the close of
June, the whole family begin to leave the immediate neighbor-
hood of their cares, flit through the woods, —a shy, roving, and
nearly silent train ; and when ready for the distant journey be-
fore them, about the end of August or beginning of September,
the whole at once disappear, and probably arrive, as with us,
amidst the forests of South America in a scattered flock, and
continue, like Starlings, to pass the winter in celibacy, wholly
engaged in gleaning a quiet subsistence until the return of
spring. Then, incited by instinct to prepare for a more pow-
erful passion, they again wing their way to the regions of the
north, where, but for this wonderful instinct of migration, the
whole race would perish in a single season. As the sexes
usually arrive in different flocks, it is evident that the conjugal
tie ceases at the period of migration, and the choice of mates
is renewed with the season; during which the males, and
sometimes also the females, carry on their jealous disputes
with much obstinacy.
That our Oriole is not familiar with us, independent of the
all-powerful natural impulse which he obeys, is sufficiently
obvious when he nests in the woods. Two of these solitary
BALTIMORE ORIOLE. gl
and retiring pairs had this summer, contrary to their usual
habits, taken up their abode in the lofty branches of a gigantic
Buttonwood in the forest. As soon as we appeared they took
the alarm, and remained uneasy and irritable until we were
wholly out of sight. Others, again, visit the heart of the popu-
lous city, and pour forth their wild and plaintive songs from the
trees which decorate the streets and gardens, amid the din of
the passing crowd and the tumult of incessant and noisy occu-
pations. Audubon remarks that their migrations are performed
singly and during the day, and that they proceed high, and fly
straight and continuous.
The food of the Baltimore appears to be small caterpillars, —
sometimes those of the apple-trees, — some uncommon kinds
of beetles, cimices, and small flies, like a species of cynips.
Occasionally I have seen an individual collecting Cicindeit by
the sides of sandy and gravelly roads. They feed their young
usually with soft caterpillars, which they swallow, and disgorge
on arriving at the nest; and in this necessary toil both sexes
assiduously unite. They seldom molest any of the fruits of our
gardens, except a few cherries and mulberries, and are the
most harmless, useful, beautiful, and common birds of the
country. They are, however, accused of sometimes accom-
panying their young to the garden peas, which they devour
while small and green; and being now partly gregarious, the
damage they commit is at times rendered visible. Occasionally
they are seen in cages, being chiefly fed on soaked bread, or
meal and water; they appear also fond of cherries, straw-
berries, currants, raisins, and figs, so that we may justly
consider them, like the Cassicans and Starlings, as omnivorous,
though in a less degree. They sing and appear lively in con-
finement or domestication, and become very docile, playful,
and friendly, even going in and out of the house, and some-
times alighting at a whistle on the hand of their protector.
The young for a while require to be fed on animal food alone,
and the most suitable appears to be fresh minced meat, soaked
in new milk. In this way they may be easily raised almost
from the first hatching ; but at this time vegetable substances
92 SINGING BIRDS.
appear to afford them no kind of nutrition, and at all times
they will thrive better if indulged with a little animal food or
insects, as well as hard-boiled eggs.
The summer range of this beautiful bird in the fur countries
extends to the 55th degree of latitude, arriving on the plains
of the Saskatchewan, according to Richardson, about the roth
of May, or nearly as early as their arrival in Massachusetts.
Those which thus visit the wilds of Canada in all probability
proceed at once from Mexico, or ascend the great valley of
the Mississippi and Missouri.
T have had a male bird ina state of domestication raised from
the nest very readily on fresh minced meat soaked in milk.
When established, his principal food was scalded Indian corn-
meal, on which he fed contentedly, but was also fond of sweet
cakes, insects of all descriptions, and nearly every kind of fruit.
In short, he ate everything he would in a state of nature, and
did not refuse to taste and eat of everything but the condi-
ments which enter into the multifarious diet of the human
species: he was literally omnivorous.
No bird could become more tame, allowing himself to be
handled with patient indifference, and sometimes with play-
fulness. ‘The singular mechanical application of his bill was
remarkable, and explains at once the ingenious art employed
by the species in weaving their nest. If the folded hand was
presented to our familiar Oriole, he endeavored to open it by
inserting his pointed and straight bill betwixt the closed fingers,
and then by pressing open the bill with great muscular force,
in the manner of an opening pair of compasses, he contrived,
if the force was not great, to open the hand and examine its
contents. If brought to the face he did the same with the
mouth, and would try hard to open the closed teeth. In this
way, by pressing open any yielding interstice, he could readily
insert the threads of his nest, and pass them through an infinity
of openings, so as to form the ingenious net-work or basis of his
suspensory and procreant cradle.
This is a familiar bird throughout the greater part of this faunal
province north to the southern portions of Ontario and Quebec,
ORCHARD ORIOLE. 93
and it occurs sparingly in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It
winters southward to Panama.
NoTE.— A single example of BuLLocK’s ORIOLE (/c¢erus
bullockt), which was shot near Bangor, Maine, in 1889, gives this
species a right to be mentioned here. The usual habitat of this
species is between the eastern base of the Rockies and the Pacific
coast.
ORCHARD ORIOLE.
IcTERUS SPURIUS.
Cuar. Male: head, neck, back, wings, and tail black; other parts
chestnut, deepest on breast. Female: yellowish olive inclining to brown ;
wings dusky brown with 2 white bands; beneath, olive yellow. Young
similar to female. Length 6 to 7% inches.
Vest. A handsome basket-like structure, about 4 inches in depth,
composed of grasses woven into a smooth firm fabric, and lined with
feathers or other soft material. It is sometimes partly supported in the
forks of small twigs, and often entirely pendent. Usually about 10 feet
from the ground and near the end of the branch.
Eggs. 3-6 (generally 4); white with blue or green tint, irregularly
marked with lilac and brown; .80 X .60.
This smaller and plainer species has many of the habits of
the Baltimore bird, and arrives in Pennsylvania about a week
later. They enter the southern boundary of the United States
early in March, and remain there until October. They do not
however, I believe, often migrate farther north and east than
the State of Connecticut. J have never seen or heard of them
in Massachusetts, any more than my scientific friend, and close
observer, Mr. C. Pickering. ‘Their stay in the United States, it
appears from Wilson, is little more than four months, as they
retire to South America early in September, or at least do not
winter in the Southern States. According to my friend Mr.
Ware, they breed at Augusta, in Georgia; and Mr. Say ob-
served the Orchard Oriole at Major Long’s winter quarters on
the banks of the Missouri. Audubon has also observed the
species towards the sources of the Mississippi, as well as in the
State of Maine. The same author likewise remarks that their
94 SINGING BIRDS.
northern migrations, like those of the Baltimore bird, are per-
formed by day, and that the males arrive a week or ten days
sooner than their mates. They appear to affect the elevated
and airy regions of the Alleghany mountains, where they are
much more numerous than the Baltimore.
The Orchard Oriole is an exceedingly active, sprightly, and
restless bird ; in the same instant almost, he is on the ground
after some fallen insect, fluttering amidst the foliage of the
trees, prying and springing after his lurking prey, or flying and
tuning his lively notes in a manner so hurried, rapid, and
seemingly confused that the ear is scarce able to thread out
the shrill and lively tones of his agitated ditty. Between these
hurried attempts he also gives others, which are distinct and
agreeable, and not unlike the sweet warble of the Red-Breasted
Grosbeak, though more brief and less varied. In choosing the
situation of his nest he is equally familiar with the Baltimore
Oriole, and seems to enjoy the general society of his species,
suspending his most ingenious and pensile fabric from the
bending twig of the apple-tree, which, like the nest of the
other, is constructed in the form of a pouch from three to five
inches in depth, according to the strength or flexibility of the
tree on which he labors ; so that in a weeping-willow, according
to Wilson, the nest is one or two inches deeper than if in an
apple-tree, to obviate the danger of throwing out the eggs and
young by the sweep of the long, pendulous branches. It is
likewise slighter, as the crowding leaves of that tree afford a
natural shelter of considerable thickness. That economy of
this kind should be studied by the Orchard Oriole will scarcely
surprise so much as the laborious ingenuity and beautiful tissue
of its nest. It is made exteriorly of a fine woven mat of long,
tough, and flexible grass, as if darned with a needle. The
form is hemispherical, and the inside is lined with downy
substances, — sometimes the wool of the seeds of the Button-
wood, — forming thus a commodious and soft bed for the young.
This precaution of a warm lining, as in the preceding species,
is, according to Audubon, dispensed with in the warm climate
of Louisiana. The eggs are 4 or 5, of a very pale bluish
ORCHARD ORIOLE. 95
tint, with a few points of brown, and spots of dark purple,
chiefly disposed at the greater end. The female sits about
14 days, and the young continue in the nest 10 days before
they become qualified to flit along with their parents; but
they are generally seen abroad about the middle of June.
Previously to their departure, the young, leaving the care of
their parents, become gregarious, and assemble sometimes in
flocks of separate sexes, from 30 to 40 or upwards, — in the
South frequenting the savannahs, feeding much on crickets,
grasshoppers, and spiders ; and at this season their flesh is much
esteemed by the inhabitants. Wilson found them easy to raise
from the nest, but does not say on what they were fed, though
they probably require the same treatment as the Baltimore
Oriole. According to Audubon, they sing with great liveliness
in cages, being fed on rice and dry fruits when fresh cannot be
procured. Their ordinary diet, it appears, is caterpillars and
insects, of which they destroy great quantities. In the course
of the season they likewise feed on various kinds of juicy fruits
and berries ; but their depredations on the fruits of the orchard
are very unimportant.
This is a summer visitor throughout the Eastern States, though
not common north of the Connecticut valley. It occurs regularly
but sparingly in Massachusetts and southern Ontario, and has been
taken in Maine and New Brunswick. It breeds southward to the
Gulf States, and in winter ranges into Central America.
Mr. Chapman describes the voice of this Oriole as “ unusually
rich and flexible,” and adds, “he uses it with rare skill and ex.
pression.”
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.
AGELAIUS PHCENICEUS.
CuHar. Male: black; lesser wing-coverts vermilion, bordered with
buff. Female: above, blackish brown streaked with paler and grayish ;
lower parts dusky white streaked with reddish brown; sometimes wing-
coverts have a reddish tinge. Young like female, but colors deeper.
Length 71% to 10 inches.
Nest. Ina tuft of grass or on a bush; composed of grass, leaves, and
mud, lined with soft grass.
Eggs. 3-5; color varies from bluish white to greenish blue, blotched,
streaked, and spotted with lilac and dark brown; size variable, average
about 1.00 X .9o.
The Red-Winged Troopial in summer inhabits the whole of
North America from Nova Scotia to Mexico, and is found in
the interior from the 53d degree across the whole continent to
the shores of the Pacific and along the coast as far as Cali-
fornia, They are migratory north of Maryland, but pass the
winter and summer in great numbers in all the Southern States,
frequenting chiefly the settlements and rice and corn fields ;
towards the sea-coast, where they move about like blackening
clouds, rising suddenly at times with a noise like thunder, and
exhibiting amidst the broad shadows of their funereal plumage
the bright flashing of the vermilion with which their wings are
so singularly decorated. After whirling and waving a little
distance like the Starling, they descend as a torrent, and, dark-
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 97
ening the branches of the trees by their numbers, they com-
mence a general concert that may be heard for more than two
miles. This music seems to be something betwixt chattering
and warbling, —jingling liquid notes like those of the Bobolink,
with their peculiar ong-guér-reé and bob a le, o-bob & lee; then
complaining chirps, jars, and sounds like saw-filing, or the
motion of a sign-board on its rusty hinge ; the whole constitu-
ting a novel and sometimes grand chorus of discord and
harmony, in which the performers seem in good earnest, and
bristle up their feathers as if inclined at least to make up in
quantity what their show of music may lack in quality.
When their food begins to fail in the fields, they assemble
with the Purple Grakles very familiarly around the corn-cribs
and in the barn-yards, greedily and dexterously gleaning up
everything within their reach. In the month of March Mr.
Bullock found them very numerous and bold near the city of
Mexico, where they followed the mules to steal a tithe of their
barley.
From the beginning of March to April, according to the
nature of the season, they begin to visit the Northern States in
scattered parties, flying chiefly in the morning. As they wing
their way they seem to relieve their mutual toil by friendly
chatter, and being the harbingers of spring, their faults are
forgot in the instant, and we cannot help greeting them as old
acquaintances in spite of their predatory propensities. Selec-
ting their accustomed resort, they make the low meadows
resound again with their notes, particularly in the morning and
evening before retiring to or leaving the roost; previous to
settling themselves for the night, and before parting in the
day, they seem all to join in a general chorus of liquid warb-
ling tones, which would be very agreeable but for the inter-
ruption of the plaints and jarring sounds with which it is
blended. They continue to feed in small parties in swamps
and by slow streams and ponds till the middle or close of
April, when they begin to separate in pairs. Sometimes, how-
ever, they appear to be partly polygamous, like their cousins
the Cow Troopials ; as amidst a number of females engaged in
VOL. I. — 7
98 SINGING BIRDS.
incubation, but few of the other sex appear associated with
them ; and as among the Bobolinks, sometimes two or three of
the males may be seen in chase of an individual of the other
sex, but without making any contest or show of jealous feud
with each other, as a concubinage rather than any regular
mating seems to prevail among the species.
Assembled again in their native marshes, the male perched,
upon the summit of some bush surrounded by water, in com-
pany with his mates, now sings out, at short intervals, his
guttural hong-quér-ree, sharply calls /’¢shéah, or when disturbed,
plaintively utters ’¢#sh@y; to which his companions, not insen-
sible to these odd attentions, now and then return a gratulatory
cackle or reiterated chirp, like that of the native Meadow
Lark. As a pleasant and novel, though not unusual, accompa-
niment, perhaps the great bull-frog elevates his green head
and brassy eyes from the stagnant pool, and calls out in a loud
and echoing bellow, 'w’rr00, ’warroo, ’worrbrroo, ’bodroo, which
is again answered, or, as it were, merely varied by the creaking
or cackling voice of his feathered neighbors. This curious
concert, uttered as it were from the still and sable waters of
the Styx, is at once both ludicrous and solemn.
About the end of April or early in May, in the middle and
northern parts of the-Union, the Red-Winged Blackbirds com-
mence constructing their nests. The situation made choice of
is generally in some marsh, swamp, or wet meadow, abounding
with alder (Aénus) or button-bushes ( Cephalanthus) ; in these,
commonly at the height of five to seven feet from the ground,
or sometimes in a detached bush or tussock of rank grass in
the meadow, the nest is formed. Outwardly it is composed of
a considerable quantity of the long dry leaves of sedge-grass
(Carex), or other kinds collected in wet situations, and occa-
sionally the slender leaves of the flag (/ris) carried round all
the adjoining twigs of the bush by way of support or suspen-
sion, and sometimes blended with strips of the lint of the
swamp Asclepias, or silk-weed (Asclepias incarnata). The
whole of this exterior structure is also twisted in and out, and
carried in loops from one side of the nest to the other, pretty
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 99
much in the manner of the Orioles, but made of less flexible
and handsome materials. The large interstices that remain, as
well as the bottom, are then filled in with rotten wood, marsh-
grass roots, fibrous peat, or mud, so as to form, when dry, a
stout and substantial, though concealed shell, the whole very
well lined with fine dry stalks of grass or with slender rushes
(Scirp?). When the nest is in a tussock, it is also tied to the
adjoining stalks of herbage; but when on the ground this pre-
caution of fixity is laid aside. The eggs are from 3 to 5,
white, tinged with blue, marked with faint streaks of light pur-
ple, and long, straggling, serpentine lines and dashes of very
dark brown; the markings not very numerous, and disposed
almost wholly at the greater end. They raise two broods com- ’
monly in the season. If the nest is approached while the
female is sitting, or when the young are hatched, loud cries of
alarm are made by both parties, but more particularly by the
restless male, who flies to meet the intruder, and generally
brings together the whole sympathizing company of his fellows,
whose nests sometimes are within a few yards of each other.
The female cries ’gueah, ’puedh, and at length, when the mis-
chief they dreaded is accomplished, the louder notes give way
to others which are more still, slow, and mournful; one of
which resembles ai, ai, or a and ?tsheah. When the young
are taken or destroyed, the pair continue restless and dejected
for several days; but from the force of their gregarious habit
they again commence building, usually soon after, in the same
meadow or swamp with their neighbors. In the latter part of
July and August the young birds, now resembling the female,
begin to fly in flocks and release themselves partly from depen-
dence on their parents, whose cares up to this time are faithful
and unremitting; a few males only seem inclined to stay and
direct their motions.
About the beginning of September these flocks, by their
formidable numbers, do great damage to the unripe corn,
which is now a favorite repast; and they are sometimes seen
whirling and driving over the devoted cornfields and meadows
so as to darken the air with their numbers. The destruction
100 SINGING BIRDS.
at this time made among them by the gun and the Hawks pro-
duces but little effect upon the remainder, who continue fear-
lessly, and in spite of all opposition, from morning to night
to ravage the cornfields while anything almost remains to be
eaten. The farms near the sea-coast, or alluvial situations,
however, are their favorite haunts; and towards the close of
September, the corn becoming hard, it is at length rejected for
the seeds of the wild rice (Z:zania aguatica) and other aquatic
plants, which now begin to ripen, and afford a more harmless
and cheap repast to these dauntless marauders. At this time,
also, they begin to roost in the reeds, whither they repair in
large flocks every evening from all the neighboring quarters of
the country ; upon these they perch or cling, so as to obtain a
support above the surrounding waters of the marsh. When
the reeds become dry, advantage is taken of the circumstance
to destroy these unfortunate gormandizers by fire; and those
who might escape the flames are shot down in vast numbers as
they hover and scream around the spreading conflagration.
Early in November they generally leave the Northern and
colder States, with the exception of straggling parties, who
still continue to glean subsistence, in the shelter of the sea-
coast, in Delaware, Maryland, and even in the cold climate of
the State of Massachusetts.?
To those who seem inclined to extirpate these erratic depre-
dators, Wilson justly remarks, as a balance against the damage
they commit, the service they perform in the spring season, by
the immense number of insects and their larve which they
destroy, as their principal food, and which are of kinds most
injurious to the husbandman. Indeed, Kalm remarked that
after a great destruction made among these and the common
Blackbirds for the legal reward of 3 pence a dozen, the
Northern States, in 1749, experienced a complete loss of the
grass and grain crops, which were now devoured by insects.
Like the Troopial (Oriolus icterus, LatH.), the Redwing
shows attachment and docility in confinement, becoming, like
1 My friend Mr. S. Green, of Boston, assures me that he has seen these birds
near Newton, in a cedar-swamp, in January.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. Io]
the Starling, familiar with those who feed him, and repaying
the attention he receives, by singing his monotonous ditty
pretty freely, consisting, as we have already remarked, of vari-
ous odd, grating, shrill, guttural, and sometimes warbling tones,
which become at length somewhat agreeable to the ear; and
instances are said to have occurred of their acquiring the power
of articulating several words pretty distinctly.
The flesh of this bird is but little esteemed except when
young, being dark and tough like that of the Starling; yet in
some of the markets of the United States they are at times
exposed for sale.
The Red-wing is a common summer visitor to the Eastern States
and Canada, breeding as far north as latitude 50°. In the West it
ranges through the Saskatchewan valley to Great Slave Lake. It
winters south to Mexico; but a few individuals have been known to
brave a New England winter. During the winter of 1889-90, a
male was seen about the Fresh Pond marshes by several members
of the Nuttall Club of Cambridge, and since that time several of
these birds have been found there every winter.
Note. — The BAHAMAN RED-wING (A. phenicus bryant), a
smaller, darker race, is found on the Bahama Islands and in south-
ern Florida.
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD.
XANTHOCEPHALUS XANTHOCEPHALUS.
CuarR. Male: head, neck, and breast yellow; large patch on wing
white; other parts black. Female and young: general color blackish
brown; wings without the white spot; throat and breast dull yellow.
Length 9 to 11 inches.
Nest. — Of dried grass, firmly woven and fastened to twigs of a bush or
stalks of rushes, in a marsh or swampy meadow.
Eges. — 2-6; grayish white, sometimes with a green tint, irregularly
marked with brown; 1.05 X 0.70.
The Yellow-headed Troopial, though long known as an
inhabitant of South America, was only recently added to the
fauna of the United States by Major Long’s expedition. It
was seen in great numbers near the banks of the River Platte,
around the villages of the Pawnees, about the middle of May ;
and the different sexes were sometimes observed associated in
separate flocks, as the breeding season had not yet probably
commenced. The range of this fine species is, apparently,
from Cayenne, in tropical America, to the banks of the River
Missouri, where Mr. Townsend and myself observed examples
not far from the settled line of Missouri State. It has been
seen by Dr. Richardson, in summer, as far as the 58th par-
allel. Its visits in the United States are yet wholly confined to
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. 103
the west side of the Mississippi, beyond which, not even ‘a
straggler has been seen. These birds assemble in flocks, and
in all their movements, aérial evolutions, and predatory char-
acter, appear as the counterpart of their Red-winged relatives.
They are also seen to frequent the ground in search of food,
in the manner of the Cow-Bunting, or Troopial. In the
spring season they wage war upon the insect tribes and their
larvee, like the Red-wings, but in autumn they principally
depend on the seeds of vegetables. At Demerara, Waterton
observed them in flocks, and, as might have been suspected
from their habits, they were very greedy after Indian corn.
On the 2d of May, in our western tour across the continent,
around the Kansa Indian Agency, we now saw abundance of
the Yellow-headed Troopial, associated with the Cowbird.
They kept wholly on the ground in companies, the males, at
this time, by themselves. In loose soil they dig into the earth
with their bills in quest of insects and larve, are very active,
straddle about with a quaint gait, and now and then, in the
manner of the Cowbird, whistle out with great effort a chuck-
ling note sounding like ko-kukk/e-’ait, often varying into a
straining squeak, as if using their utmost endeavor to make
some kind of noise in token of sociability. Their music is,
however, even inferior to the harsh note of the Cowbird.
In the month of June, by the edge of a grassy marsh, in the
open plain of the Platte, several hundred miles inland, Mr.
Townsend found the nest of this species built under a tussock
formed of fine grasses and canopied over like that of the
Sturnella, or Meadow Lark.
While essentially a bird of the prairie, this species occurs reg-
ularly and in abundance in Wisconsin and Illinois. It has been
observed occasionally in southern Ontario, and examples have been
taken at Point des Monts, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Florida.
104 SINGING BIRDS.
COWBIRD.
COW BLACKBIRD.
MOLOTHRUS ATER.
Cuar. Male: head and neck dull brown; other parts glossy black.
Female and young: brownish gray, paler below, with dark streaks.
Length 7 to 8 inches.
Nest. Does not build any, but lays its eggs in nests of other species,
usually of smaller birds, such as the Yellow Warbler, Chipping Sparrow,
or one of the Vireos.
Eggs. ? (number unknown, probably 4) ; dull white, sometimes with
green or buff tint, irregularly marked with various shades of brown;
085 X 0.65.
The Cow-pen Bird, perpetually gregarious and flitting, is
observed to enter the Middle and Northern States in the latter
end of March or the beginning of April. They make their mi-
gration now chiefly under cover of the night, or early dawn ;
and as the season becomes milder they pass on to Canada, and
perhaps follow the Warblers and other small birds into the
farthest regions of the north, for they are seen no more after
the middle of June until the return of autumn, when, with the
colds of October, they again reappear in numerous and aug-
mented flocks, usually associated with their kindred Red-wings,
to whom they bear a sensible likeness, as well as a similarity in
notes and manners. They pass the winter in the warmer parts
of America as well as in the Southern States, where I have
observed them in the ploughed fields, gleaning along with the
Red-wings and the common Blackbirds. They are also very
familiar around the cattle, picking up insects which they
happen to disturb, or that exist in their ordure. When on the
ground, they scratch up the soil and appear very intent after
their food. Sometimes even, infringing on the rights of the
Plover, individuals, in the winter, frequent the margins of
ponds in quest of aquatic insects and small shell-fish ; and they
may be seen industriously occupied in turning over the leaves
of the water-plants to which they adhere. They also frequent
COWBIRD. 105
occasionally the rice and corn fields, as well as their more
notorious associates, but are more inclined to native food and
insects at all times, so that they are more independent and
less injurious to the farmer. As they exist in Mexico and
California, it is probable that they are also bred in the higher
table-lands, as well as in the regions of the north. In Loui-
siana, however, according to Audubon, they are rare visitors
at any season, seeming more inclined to follow their route
through the maritime districts. Over these countries, high in
the air, in the month of October, they are seen by day winging
their way to the remoter regions of the south.
We have observed that the Red-wings separate in parties,
and pass a considerable part of the summer in the necessary
duties of incubation. But the Cow-pen Birds release them-
selves from all hindrance to their wanderings. The volatile
disposition and instinct which prompt birds to migrate, as the
seasons change and as their food begins to fail, have only a
periodical influence; and for a while they remain domestic,
passing a portion of their time in the cares and enjoyments of
the conjugal state. But with our bird, like the European
Cuckoo, this season never arrives; the flocks live together
without ever pairing. A general concubinage prevails among
them, scarcely exciting any jealousy, and unaccompanied by any
durable affection. From the commencement of their race they
have been bred as foundlings in the nests of other birds, and
fed by foster-parents under the perpetual influence of delusion
and deception, and by the sacrifice of the concurrent progeny
of the nursing birds. Amongst all the feathered tribes hitherto
known, this and the European Cuckoo, with a few other species
indigenous to the old continent, are the only kinds who never
make a nest or hatch their young. That this character is not
a vice of habit, but a perpetual instinct of nature, appears from
various circumstances, and from none more evidently than from
this, that the eggs of the Cow Troopial are earlier hatched than
those of the foster-parent, — a singular and critical provision, on
which perhaps the existence of the species depends; for did
the natural brood of the deceived parent come first into exis-
106 SINGING BIRDS.
tence, the strange egg on which they sat would generally be
destroyed.
When the female is disposed to lay, she appears restless and
dejected, and separates from the unregarding flock. Stealing
through the woods and thickets, she pries into the bushes and
brambles for the nest that suits her, into which she darts in the
absence of its owner, and in a few minutes is seen to rise on the
‘wing, cheerful, and relieved from the anxiety that oppressed her,
and proceeds back to the flock she had so reluctantly forsaken.
If the egg be deposited in the nest alone, it is uniformly
forsaken; but if the nursing parent have any of her own,
she immediately begins to sit. The Red-eyed Flycatcher, in
whose beautiful basket-like nests I have observed these eggs,
proves a very affectionate and assiduous nurse to the uncouth
foundling. In one of these I found an egg of each bird, and
the hen already sitting. I took her own egg and left the
strange one; she soon returned, and as if sensible of what
had happened, looked with steadfast attention, and shifted the
egg about, then sat upon it, but soon moved off, again renewed
her observation, and it was a considerable time before she
seemed willing to take her seat; but at length I left her on
the nest. Two or three days after, I found that she had relin-
quished her attention to the strange egg and forsaken the
nest. Another of these birds, however, forsook the nest on
taking out the Cowbird’s egg, although she had still two of her
own left. The only example, perhaps, to the contrary of de-
serting the nest when solely occupied by the stray egg, is in
the Bluebird, who, attached strongly to the breeding-places in
which it often continues for several years, has been known to
lay, though with apparent reluctance, after the deposition of
the Cowbird’s egg. My friend Mr. C. Pickering found two
nests of the Summer-yellow Bird, in which had been deposited
an egg of the Cowbird previously to any of their own; and
unable to eject it, they had buried it in the bottom of the nest
and built over it an additional story! I also saw, in the sum-
mer of 1830, a similar circumstance with the same bird, in
which the Cowbird’s egg, though incarcerated, was still visible
COWBIRD. 107
on the upper edge, but could never have been hatched. At
times I think it probable that they lay in the nests of larger
birds, who throw out the egg, or that they drop their eggs on
the ground without obtaining a deposit, as I have found an egg
of this kind thus exposed and broken. On placing an egg of
this bird in the Catbird’s nest it was almost instantly ejected ;
and this would probably be the usual fate of the strange egg if
the diminutive nurses, thus wisely chosen, were capable of
removing it.
The most usual nurse of this bird appears to be the Red-
eyed Vireo, who commences sitting as soon as the Cowbird’s
egg is deposited. On these occasions J have known the Vireo
to begin her incubation with only an egg of each kind, and in
other nests I have observed as many as 3 of her own, with
that of the intruder. From the largeness of the strange egg,
probably the nest immediately feels filled, so as to induce the
nurse directly to sit. -This larger egg, brought nearer to the
body than her own, is consequently better warmed and sooner
hatched ; and the young of the Cowbird, I believe, appears
about the 12th or 13th day of sitting. The foundling is very
faithfully nursed by the affectionate Vireo, along with her own
brood, who make their appearance about a day later than the
Troopial. From the great size of the parasite, the legitimate
young are soon stifled, and, when dead, are conveyed, as usual,
by the duped parent to a distance before being dropped ; but
they are never found immediately beneath the nest, as would
invariably happen if they were ejected by the young Troopial.
In the summer of 1839 I actually saw a Chipping Sparrow car-
rying out to a distance one of its dead young thus stifled; and
a second nest of the same species in which 3 of its own brood
were hatched soon after the Cow Troopial : these survived 2 or
3 days, and as they perished were carried away by the parent
bird. As far as I have had opportunity of observing, the
foundling shows no hostility to the natural brood of his nurses,
but he nearly absorbs their whole attention, and early displays
his characteristic cunning and self-possession. When fully
fledged, they quickly desert their foster-parent, and skulk
108 SINGING BIRDS.
about in the woods until, at length, they instinctively join com-
pany with those of the same feather, and now becoming more
bold, are seen in parties of 5 or 6, in the fields and lanes,
gleaning their accustomed subsistence. ‘They still, however,
appear shy and watchful, and seem too selfish to study any-
thing more than their own security and advantage.
The song of the Cowbird is guttural and unmusical, uttered
with an air of affectation, and accompanied by a bristling of
the feathers and a swelling of the body in the manner of the
Turkey. These are also all the notes of the species in the
season of their attachment; so that their musical talent rates
lower than that of any other bird perhaps in the genus. Some-
times the tones of the male resemble the liquid clinking of the
Bobolink and Red-winged Blackbird. Sitting on the summit
of a lofty branch, he amuses himself perhaps for an hour with
an occasional ’A/uck ’¢seé, the latter syllable uttered in a drawl-
ing hiss like that of the Red-wing. Accompanied by his mates,
he also endeavors to amuse them by his complaisant chatter ;
and watching attentively for their safety, they flit together at
the instant he utters the loud tone of alarm; and they are
always shy and suspicious of the designs of every observer.
On a fine spring morning, however, perched towards the sum-
mit of some tree in the forest where they seek rest after their
twilight wanderings, small and select parties may be seen grate-
fully basking in the mild beams of the sunshine. The male on
such occasions seems as proud of his uncouth jargon, and as
eager to please his favorite companions, as the tuneful Night-
ingale with his pathetic and varied lay.
The Cowbird is a common summer resident of New England,
though of rather local distribution. Dr. Wheaton reported it as
abundant in Ohio during the summer months, and Mr. MclIlwraith
made a similar report for Ontario. It is rather uncommon in the
Maritime Provinces, but ranges as far northward as the soth par-
allel. In January, 1883, two specimens were taken near Cambridge,
Mass., by Mr. William Brewster and Mr. Henry M. Spellman, and
other evidences of occasional wintering in New England have been
reported.
Wy,
BOBOLINK.
RICE BIRD. SKUNK BLACKBIRD. MEADOW-WINK.
DOLICHONYX ORYZIVORUS.
Cuar. Male in summer: black; back of head and hind-neck buff ;
Scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy white. Male in winter,
female, and young: above, yellowish brown, beneath paler, more buffy;
light stripe on crown. Length 6% to 7% inches.
Vest. Ina meadow; made of dried grass.
£ges. 4-6; white with green or buff tint, irregularly marked with
lilac and brown; 0.85 X 0.60.
The whole continent of America, from Labrador to Mexico,
and the Great Antilles, are the occasional residence of this truly
migratory species. About the middle of March or beginning
of April the cheerful Bobolink makes his appearance in the
southern extremity of the United States, becoming gradually
arrayed in his nuptial livery, and accompanied by troops of his
companions, who often precede the arrival of their more tardy
110 SINGING BIRDS.
mates. According to Richardson it is the beginning of June
when they arrive at their farthest boreal station in the 54th
degree. We observed them in the great western plains to the
base of the Rocky Mountains, but not in Oregon. Their win-
tering resort appears to be rather the West Indies than the
tropical continent, as their migrations are observed to take
place generally to the east of Louisiana, where their visits are
rare and irregular. At this season also they make their ap-
proaches chiefly by night, obeying, as it were, more distinctly,
the mandates of an overruling instinct, which prompts them to
seek outetheir natal regions; while in autumn, their progress,
by day only, is alone instigated by the natural quest of food.
About the rst of May the meadows of Massachusetts begin to
re-echo their lively ditty. At this season, in wet places, and
by newly ploughed fields, they destroy many insects and their
larvee. According to their success in obtaining food, parties
often delay their final northern movement as late as the mid-
dle of May, so that they appear to be in no haste to arrive at
their destination at any exact period. The principal business
of their lives, however, the rearing of their young, does not
take place until they have left the parallel of the 4oth degree.
In the savannahs of Ohio and Michigan, and the cool grassy
meadows of New York, Canada, and New England, they fix
their abode, and obtain a sufficiency of food throughout the
summer without molesting the harvest of the farmer, until the
ripening of the latest crops of oats and barley, when, in their
autumnal and changed dress, hardly now known as the same
species, they sometimes show their taste for plunder, and flock
together like the greedy and predatory Blackbirds. Although
they devour various kinds of insects and worms on their first
arrival, I have found that their frequent visits among the grassy
meadows were often also for the seeds they contain; and they
are particularly fond of those of the dock and dandelion, the
latter of which is sweet and oily. Later in the season, and pre-
viously to leaving their native regions, they feed principally on
various kinds of grass-seeds, particularly those of the Panicums,
which are allied to millet. They also devour crickets and grass-
hoppers, as well as beetles and spiders. Their nest is fixed on
BOBOLINK. lt
the ground in a slight depression, usually in a field of meadow
grass, either in a dry or moist situation, and consists merely of
a loose bedding of withered grass, so inartificial as scarcely to
be distinguishable from the rest of the ground around it. The
eggs are 5 or 6, of a dull white, inclining to olive, scattered all
over with small spots and touches of lilac brown, with some
irregular blotches of dark rufous brown, chiefly disposed to-
wards the larger end.
The males, arriving a little earlier than the other sex, now
appear very vigorous, lively, and familiar, Many quarrels
occur before the mating is settled ; and the females seem at first
very coy and retiring. Emulation fires the Bobolink at this
period, and rival songsters pour out their incessant strains of
enlivening music from every fence and orchard tree. The
quiet females keep much on the ground; but as soon as they
appear, they are pursued by the ardent candidates for their
affection, and if either seems to be favored, the rejected suitor
is chased off the ground, as soon as he appears, by his more
fortunate rival. The song of the male continues with little in-
terruption as long as the female is sitting, and his chant, at all
times very similar, is both singular and pleasant. Often, like
the Skylark, mounted, and hovering on the wing, at a small height
above the field, as he passes along from one tree-top or weed
to another, he utters such a jingling medley of short, variable
notes, so confused, rapid, and continuous, that it appears
almost like the blending song of several different birds. Many
of these tones are very agreeable ; but they are delivered with
such rapidity that the ear can scarcely separate them. The
general effect, however, like all the simple efforts of Nature, is
good, and when several are chanting forth in the same meadow,
the concert is very cheerful, though monotonous, and somewhat
quaint. Among the few phrases that can be distinguished, the
liquid sound of 406-é-lee bob-0-link bob-o-linké, is very distinct.
To give an idea of the variable extent of song, and even an
imitation, in some measure, of the chromatic period and air of
this familiar and rather favorite resident, the boys of this part
of New England make him spout, among others, the following
112 SINGING BIRDS.
ludicrous dunning phrase, as he rises and hovers on the wing
near his mate, “’Sdb-d-link, ’Béb-6-link, ’Tom Dénny’Tom
Dénny.—’Come pay me the two dnd six pence you've owed
more than a year and & half ago! —'tshé 'tshé tshé,'tsh ?tsh
‘tshé,” modestly diving at the same instant down into the grass
as if to avoid altercation. However puerile this odd phrase
may appear, it is quite amusing to find how near it approaches
to the time and expression of the notes, when pronounced in
a hurried manner. It would be unwise in the naturalist to
hold in contempt anything, however trifling, which might tend
to elucidate the simple truth of nature; I therefore give the
thing as I find it. This relish for song and merriment, con-
fined wholly to the male, diminishes as the period of incubation
advances ; and when the brood begin to flutter around their
parents and protectors, the song becomes less frequent, the
cares of the parents more urgent, and any approach to the
secret recess of their helpless family is deplored with urgent
and incessant cries as they hover fearfully around the inten-
tional or accidental intruder. They appear sometimes inclined
to have a second brood, for which preparation is made while
they are yet engaged in rearing the first; but the male gen-
erally loses his musical talent about the end of the first week
in July, from which time his nuptial or pied dress begins
gradually to be laid aside for the humble garb of the female.
The whole, both young and old, then appear nearly in the
same songless livery, uttering only a chznk of alarm when sur-
prised in feeding on the grass seeds, or the crops of grain
which still remain abroad. When the voice of the Bobolink
begins to fail, with the progress of the exhausting moult, he flits
over the fields in a restless manner, and merely utters a broken
'b60'lee, ’b60’ lee, or with his songless mate, at length, a 'weet
‘weet, bleet Bleet, and a noisy and disagreeable cackling
chirp. At the early dawn of day, while the tuneful talent of
the species is yet unabated, the effect of their awakening and
faltering voices from a wide expanse of meadows, is singular
and grand. The sounds mingle like the noise of a distant
torrent, which alternately subsides and rises on the breeze as
BOBOLINK. 113
the performers awake or relapse into rest; it finally becomes
more distinct and tumultuous, till with the opening day it as-
sumes the intelligible character of their ordinary song. The
young males, towards the close of July, having nearly acquired
their perfect character, utter also in the morning, from the
trees which border their favorite marshy meadows, a very
agreeable and continuous low warble, more like that of the
Yellow Bird than the usual song of the species; in fact, they
appear now in every respect as Finches, and only become
jingling musicians when robed in their pied dress as Icteri.
About the middle of August, in congregating numbers, di-
vested already of all selective attachment, vast foraging parties
enter New York and Pennsylvania, on their way to the South.
Here, along the shores of the large rivers, lined with floating
fields of the wild rice, they find an abundant means of sub-
sistence during their short stay ; and as their flesh, now fat, is
little inferior to that of the European Ortolan, the Reed or Rice
Birds, as they are then called in their Sparrow-dress, form a
favorite sport for gunners of all descriptions, who turn out on
the occasion and commit prodigious havoc among the almost
silent and greedy roosting throng. The markets are then filled
with this delicious game, and the pursuit, both for success and
amusement, along the picturesque and reedy shores of the Del-
aware and other rivers is second to none but that of Rail-
shooting. As soon as the cool nights of October commence,
and as the wild rice crops begin to fail, the Reed Birds
take their departure from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in
their farther progress through the Southern States they swarm
in the rice fields; and before the crop is gathered they have
already made their appearance in the islands of Cuba and
Jamaica, where they also feed on the seeds of the Guinea
grass, become so fat as to deserve the name of “ Butter-birds,”
and are in high esteem for the table.
Near the Atlantic coast the Bobolink is not common north of
the 45th parallel ; but in the West it ranges to much higher latitudes.
A few examples have been observed on the New Brunswick shore
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
VOL. I. — 8
114 SINGING BIRDS.
BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE.
JACKDAW.
QUISCALUS MAJOR.
Cuar. Extremely long, wedge-shaped tail, less conspicuous in female.
Male: black, with metallic tints of green, blue, and purple. Length 15 to
17% inches. Female: above, brown; beneath, grayish brown, changing to
reddish and buffy on breast and throat. Length, 11% to 13 inches.
Nest. A bulky structure of dried grass and strips of bark, cemented
with mud and lined with fine grass; placed in a tree in swamp or near a
marsh, sometimes fastened to rushes.
£ggs. 3-5; grayish drab with tints of green or blue, marked with
black and brown blotches and lines; 1.25 X 0.90.
This large and Crow-like species, sometimes called the Jack-
daw, inhabits the southern maritime parts of the Union only,
particularly the States of Georgia and Florida, where they are
seen as early as the close of January or beginning of February,
but do not begin to pair before March, previously to which
season the sexes are seen in separate flocks. But about the
latter end of November they quit even the mild climate of
Florida, generally, and seek winter-quarters probably in the
West Indies, where they are known to be numerous, as well as
in Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas ; but they do not ever extend
their northern migrations as far as the Middle States. Previ-
ous to their departure, at the approach of winter, they are seen
to assemble in large flocks, and every morning flights of them,
at a great height, are seen moving away to the south.
Like most gregarious birds, they are of a very sociable
disposition, and are frequently observed to mingle with the
common Crow Blackbirds. They assemble in great numbers
among the sea islands, and neighboring marshes on the main-
land, where they feed at low water on the oyster-beds and sand-
flats. Like Crows, they are omnivorous, their food consisting
of insects, small shell-fish, corn, and small grain, so that by
turns they may be viewed as the friend or plunderer of the
planter.
PURPLE GRACKLE. II5
The note of this species is louder than that of the common
kind, according to Audubon resembling a loud, shrill whistle,
often accompanied by a cry like cvick crick cree, and in the
breeding-season changing almost into a warble. They are only
heard to sing in the spring, and their concert, though inclining
to sadness, is not altogether disagreeable. Their nests are
built in company, on reeds and bushes, in the neighborhood
of salt-marshes and ponds. They begin to lay about the
beginning of April; soon after which the males leave their
mates, not only with the care of incubation, but with the rear-
ing of the young, moving about in separate flocks like the
Cowbirds, without taking any interest in the fate of their
progeny.
This species is rarely found north of Virginia. Several instances
of its occurrence in New England have been reported; but the
correctness of these reports has been challenged, and Mr. Allen
omitted the species from his list of Massachusetts birds issued in
1886.
PURPLE GRACKLE.
CROW BLACKBIRD.
QUISCALUS QUISCULA.
Cuar. Black, with rich metallic tints of steel blue and purple, the
female somewhat duller. Length, 11 to 13% inches.
Nest. On the branch of a tree or in a hollow stub; large and roughly
made of coarse grass and twigs, and lined with finer grass, sometimes
cemented with mud.
Zggs. 4-6; extremely variable in shape, color, and size ; ground color
greenish white to reddish brown, with irregular markings of dark brown;
1.25 X 0.90.
This very common bird is an occasional or constant resident
in every part of America, from Hudson’s Bay and the northern
interior to the Great Antilles, within the tropic. In most parts
of this wide region they also breed, at least from Nova Scotia to
Louisiana, and probably farther south. Into the States north
of Virginia they begin to migrate from the beginning of March
116 SINGING BIRDS.
to May, leaving those countries again in numerous troops about
the middle of November. Thus assembled from the North and
West in increasing numbers, they wholly overrun, at times, the
warmer maritime regions, where they assemble to pass the
winter in the company of their well-known cousins the Red-
winged Troopials or Blackbirds; for both, impelled by the
same predatory appetite, and love of comfortable winter
quarters, are often thus accidentally associated in the plun-
dering and gleaning of the plantations. The amazing
numbers in which the present species associate are almost
incredible. Wilson relates that on the zoth of January, a few
miles from the banks of the Roanoke in Virginia, he met with
one of those prodigious armies of Blackbirds, which, as he ap-
proached, rose from the surrounding fields with a noise like
thunder, and descending on the stretch of road before him,
covered it and the fences completely with black ; rising again,
after a few evolutions, they descended on the skirt of a leafless
wood, so thick as to give the whole forest, for a considerable
extent, the appearance of being shrouded in mourning, the
numbers amounting probably to many hundreds of thousands.
Their notes and screams resembled the distant sound of a
mighty cataract, but strangely attuned into a musical cadence,
which rose and fell with the fluctuation of the breeze, like the
magic harp of Afolus.
Their depredations on the maize crop or Indian corn com-
mence almost with the planting. The infant blades no sooner
appear than they are hailed by the greedy Blackbird as the
signal for a feast; and without hesitation, they descend on the
fields, and regale themselves with the sweet and sprouted seed,
rejecting and scattering the blades around as an evidence of
.their mischief and audacity. Again, about the beginning of
August, while the grain is in the milky state, their attacks are
renewed with the most destructive effect, as they now assemble
as it were in clouds, and pillage the fields to such a degree
that in some low and sheltered situations, in the vicinity of
rivers, where they delight to roam, one fourth of the crop is
devoured by these vexatious visitors. The gun, also, notwith-
PURPLE GRACKLE. 117
standing the havoc it produces, has little more effect than to
chase them from one part of the field to the other. In the
Southern States, in winter, they hover round the corn-cribs in
swarms, and boldly peck the hard grain from the cob through
the air openings of the magazine. In consequence of these
reiterated depredations, they are detested by the farmer as
a pest to his industry; though on their arrival their food for
a long time consists wholly of those insects which are calculated
to do the most essential injury to the crops. They at this season
frequent swamps and meadows, and familiarly following the fur-
rows of the plough, sweep up all the grub-worms and other
noxious animals as soon as they appear, even scratching up the
loose soil, that nothing of this kind may escape them. Up to the
time of harvest I have uniformly, on dissection, found their food
to consist of these larvee, caterpillars, moths, and beetles, of
which they devour such numbers that but for this providential
economy the whole crop of grain, in many places, would prob-
ably be destroyed by the time it began to germinate. In
winter they collect the mast of the beech and oak for food,
and may be. seen assembled in large bodies in the woods for
this purpose. In the spring season the Blackbirds roost in the
cedars and pine-trees, to which in the evening they retire with
friendly and mutual chatter. On the tallest of these trees, as
well as in bushes, they generally build their nests, — which work,
like all their movements, is commonly performed in society, so
that 10 or 15 of them are often seen in the same tree; and
sometimes they have been known to thrust their nests into
the interstices of the Fish Hawk’s eyry, as if for safety and
protection. Occasionally they breed in tall-poplars near to
habitations, and if not molested, continue to resort to the same
place for several years in succession. The nest is composed
of mud, mixed with stalks and knotty roots of grass, and lined
with fine dry grass and horse-hair. According to Audubon,
the same species in the Southern States nests in the hollows of
decayed trees, after the manner of the Woodpecker, lining the
cavity with grass and mud. They seldom produce more than a
single brood in the season. In the autumn, and at the approach
118 SINGING BIRDS,
of winter, numerous flocks, after foraging through the day, return
from considerable distances to their general roosts among the
reeds. On approaching their station, each detachment, as it
arrives, in straggling groups like crows, sweeps round the marsh
in waving flight, forming circles; amidst these bodies, the note
of the old reconnoitring leader may be heard, and no sooner
has he fixed upon the intended spot than they all descend and
take their stations in an instant. At this time they are also
frequently accompanied by the Ferruginous species, with which
they associate in a friendly manner.
The Blackbird is easily tamed, sings in confinement, and
may be taught to articulate some few words pretty distinctly.
Among the variety of its natural notes, the peculiarly affected
sibilation of the Starling is heard in the wdtfitshee, wottitshee,
and whistle, which often accompanies this note.
In Nuttall’s day variety making had not come in fashion, and
the systematists were content to treat the Crow Blackbirds of east-
ern North America as of one form. Now we have three forms,
with three “distinctive scientific appellations.” It is somewhat
difficult to distinguish these forms, except in extreme phases of
plumage, for many specimens of the Northern variety have the
diagnostic characters of the Southern birds. The present race is
said to occur on the Atlantic coast of the United States, north to
Massachusetts, and in the lower valley of the Mississippi.
The BRONZE GRACKLE (Q. guiscula @neus) lacks the purple
metallic tint on the body, that being replaced by a tint of bronze;
the purple and blue tints are restricted to the head and neck. The
wings and tail are purple. This form is abundant throughout the
New England States and Canada, and ranges north to Hudson’s
Bay and west to the Great Plains. I have seen nests of these
birds placed on the beams of barns in New Brunswick. The
farmers along the St. John and Kenebecasis rivers erect barns on
the marshy islands and “ intervales” to store their hay until it can
be carried to the mainland on the ice; and these barns, being un-
used during the breeding season, offer excellent building sites for
colonies of Crow Blackbirds and Swallows. The nests are fastened
to the beams with mud in much the same method as that adopted
by Robins.
A smaller race with a larger tail is restricted to Florida and the
adjacent country and westward to the Mississippi. It is named
the FLoripA GRACKLE (Q. guiscula algeus)
RUSTY BLACKBIRD. 119
RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
SCOLECOPHAGUS CAROLINUS.
CHAR. Male in summer: glossy black, generally more or less feathers
edged with reddish brown. Male in winter: the brown more conspic-
uous, the lower parts marked with buffy. Female and young: dull rusty
brown above, rusty and ashy beneath. Length 84 to 934 inches.
Nest. Ina tree or on the ground; a large but solid structure of twigs
and vines, sometimes cemented with mud, lined with grass and leaves.
Eggs. 4-73 grayish green to pale green, thickly blotched with light
and dark brown and purple; 1.00 X 0.76.
This species, less frequent than the preceding, is often
associated with it or with the Red-winged Troopial or the
Cowpen Bird; and according to the season, they are found
throughout America, from Hudson’s Bay to Florida, and west-
ward to the Pacific Ocean. Early in April, according to
Wilson, they pass hastily through Pennsylvania, on their
return to the North to breed. In the month of March he
observed them on the banks of the Ohio, near Kentucky River,
during a snow-storm. They arrive in the vicinity of Hudson’s -
Bay about the beginning of May, and feed much in the manner
of the common Crow Blackbird on insects which they find on
or near the ground. Dr. Richardson saw them in the winter
as far as the latitude of 53°, and in summer they range to the
68th parallel or to the extremity of the wooded region. They
sing in the pairing season, but become nearly silent while
rearing their young; though when their brood release them
from care, they again resume their lay, and may occasionally be
heard until the approach of winter. Their song is quite as
agreeable and musical as that of the Starling, and greatly sur-
passes that of any of the other species. I have heard them
singing until the middle of October.
They are said to build in trees and bushes at no great dis-
tance from the ground, making a nest similar to the other
species, and lay five eggs, of a pale blue spotted with black.
The young and old, now assembling in large troops, retire from
the northern regions in September. From the beginning of
120 SINGING BIRDS.
October to the middle of November, they are seen in flocks
through the Eastern States. During their stay in this vicinity
they assemble towards night to roost in or round the reed-
marshes of Fresh Pond, near Cambridge. Sometimes they
select the willows by the water for their lodging, in preference
to the reeds, which they give up to their companions the
Crow Blackbirds. Early in October they feed chiefly on
grasshoppers and berries, and at a later period pay a transient
visit to the corn-fields. They pass the winter in the Southern
States, and, like their darker relatives, make familiar visits to
the barn-yard and corn-cribs. Wilson remarks that they are
easily domesticated, and in a few days become quite familiar,
being reconciled to any quarters while supplied with plenty of
food.
The Rusty Blackbird breeds from about the 45th parallel to the
lower fur countries. It is fairly common near the Atlantic, but is
more abundant in the interior, and Mr. Thompson reports it com-
monly abundant in Manitoba, In this region it does not always
select an alder swamp for a nesting site, as some authors have
stated. A nest discovered by my friend Banks was amid the upper
‘branches of a good sized spruce on a dry hillside in Mr. William
Jack’s park, near St. John.
NORTHERN RAVEN.
CoRVUS CORAX PRINCIPALIS.
CuHar. Black with bluish purple gloss. Length 22 to 26% inches.
Vest. Ona cliff or in a tree; made of sticks carefully and compactly
arranged, lined with grass or wool, —repaired year after year, and thus
increased to considerable bulk.
£ggs. 2-7; pale olive, marked with olive-brown blotches and streaks ;
2.00 X 1.40.
The sable Raven has been observed and described from the
earliest times, and is a resident of almost every country in the
world ; but is more particularly abundant in the western than
the eastern parts of the United States, where it extends along
the Oregon to the shores of the Pacific. This ominous bird
i
NORTHERN RAVEN, 12]
has been generally despised and feared by the superstitious
even more than the nocturnal Owl, though he prowls abroad in
open day. He may be considered as holding a relation to the
birds of prey, feeding not only on carrion, but occasionally
seizing on weakly lambs, young hares or rabbits, and seems
indeed to give a preference to animal food; but at the same
time, he is able to live on all kinds of fruits and grain, as well
as insects, earth-worms, even dead fish, and in addition to all,
is particularly fond of eggs, so that no animal seems more truly
omnivorous than the Raven.
If we take into consideration his indiscriminating voracity,
sombre livery, discordant, croaking cry, with his ignoble, wild,
and funereal aspect, we need not be surprised that in times of
ignorance and error he should have been so generally regarded
as an object of disgust and fear. He stood pre-eminent in the
list of sinister birds, or those whose only premonition was the
announcing of misfortunes ; and, strange to tell, there are many
people yet in Europe, even in this enlightened age, who trem-
ble and become uneasy at the sound of his harmless croaking.
According to Adair, the Southern aborigines also invoke the
Raven for those who are sick, mimicking his voice; and the
natives of the Missouri, assuming black as their emblem of
war, decorate themselves on those occasions with the plumes.
of this dark bird. But all the knowledge of the future, or in-
terest in destiny, possessed by the Raven, like that of other
inhabitants of the air, is bounded by an instinctive feeling of
the changes which are about to happen in the atmosphere, and
‘which he has the faculty of announcing by certain cries and
actions produced by these external impressions. In the south-
ern provinces of Sweden, as Linnzeus remarks, when the sky is
serene the Raven flies very high and utters a hollow sound,
like the word céong, which is heard to a great distance. Some-
times he has been seen in the midst of a thunder-storm with
the electric fire streaming from the extremity of his bill, —a
natural though extraordinary phenomenon, sufficient to terrify
the superstitious and to stamp the harmless subject of it with
the imaginary traits and attributes of a demon.
122 SINGING BIRDS.
In ancient times, when divination made a part of religion,
the Raven, though a bad prophet, was yet a very interesting
bird; for the passion for prying into future events, even the
most dark and sorrowful, is an original propensity of human
nature. Accordingly, all the actions of this sombre bird, all
the circumstances of its flight, and all the different intonations
of its discordant voice, of which no less than sixty-four were
remarked, had each of them an appropriate signification; and
there were never wanting impostors to procure this pretended
intelligence, nor people simple enough to credit it. Some
even went so far as to impose upon themselves, by devouring
the heart and entrails of the disgusting Raven, in the strange
hope of thus appropriating its supposed gift of prophecy.
The Raven indeed not only possesses a great many natural
inflections of voice corresponding to its various feelings, but it
has also a talent for imitating the cries of other animals, and
even mimicking language. According to Buffon, colas is a
word which he pronounces with peculiar facility. Connecting
circumstances with his wants, Scaliger heard one, which when
hungry, learnt very distinctly to call upon Conrad the cook.
The first of these words bears a great resemblance to one of
the ordinary cries of this species, kéwallah, kéwallah. Besides
possessing in some measure the faculty of imitating human
speech, they are at times capable of manifesting a durable
attachment to their keeper, and become familiar about the
house.
The sense of smell, or rather that of sight, is very acute in
the Raven, so that he discerns the carrion, on which he often
feeds, at a great distance. Thucydides even attributes to him
the sagacity of avoiding to feed on animals which had died of
the plague. Pliny relates a singular piece of ingenuity em-
ployed by this bird to quench his thirst: he had observed
water near the bottom of a narrow-necked vase, to obtain
which, he is said to have thrown in pebbles, one at a time,
until the pile elevated the water within his reach. Nor does
this trait, singular as it is, appear to be much more sagacious
than that of carrying up nuts and shell-fish into the air, and
NORTHERN RAVEN, 123
dropping them on rocks, for the purpose of breaking them
to obtain their contents, otherwise beyond his reach, — facts
observed by men of credit, and recorded as an instinct of the
Raven by Pennant and Latham. It is, however, seldom that
these birds, any more than the rapacious kinds, feel an inclina-
tion for drinking, as their thirst is usually quenched by the
blood and juices of their prey. The Ravens are also more
social than the birds of prey, — which arises from the promis-
cuous nature and consequent abundance of their food, which
allows a greater number to subsist together in the same place,
without being urged to the stern necessity of solitude or fam-
ine, — a condition to which the true rapacious birds are always
driven. The habits of these birds are much more generally
harmless than is usually imagined ; they are useful to the farmer
in the destruction they make of moles and mice, and are often
very well contented with insects and earth-worms.
Though spread over the whole world, they are rarely ever
birds of passage, enduring the winters even of the Arctic circle,
or the warmth of Mexico, St. Domingo, and Madagascar.
They are particularly attached to the rocky eyries where they
have been bred and paired. Throughout the year they are
observed together in nearly equal numbers, and they never
entirely abandon this adopted home. If they descend into
the plain, it is to collect subsistence ; but they resort to the
low grounds more in winter than summer, as they avoid the
heat and dislike to wander from their cool retreats. They never
roost in the woods, like Crows, and have sufficient sagacity to
choose in their rocky retreats a situation defended from the
winds of the north, — commonly under the natural vault formed
by an extending ledge or cavity of the rock. Here they retire
during the night in companies of 15 to 20. They perch upon
the bushes which grow straggling in the clefts of the rocks;
but they form their nests in the rocky crevices, or in the
holes of the mouldering walls, at the summits of ruined towers ;
and sometimes upon the high branches of large and solitary
trees. After they have paired, their fidelity appears to continue
through life. The male expresses his attachment by a particu-
’ \
124 SINGING BIRDS.
lar strain of croaking, and both sexes are observed caressing, by
approaching their bills, with as much semblance of affection as
the truest turtle-doves. In temperate climates the Raven be-
gins to lay in the months of February or March. The eggs are
5 or 6, of a pale, muddy bluish green, marked with numerous
spots and lines of dark olive brown. She sits about 20 days,
and during this time the male takes care to provide her with
abundance of nourishment. Indeed, from the quantity of grain,
nuts, and fruits which have been found at this time in the envi-
rons of the nest, this supply would appear to be a store laid up
for future occasions. Whatever may be their forethought re-
garding food, they have a well-known propensity to hide things
which come within their reach, though useless to themselves,
and appear to give a preference to pieces of metal, or any-
thing which has a brilliant appearance. At Erfurt, one of
these birds had the patience to carry and hide, one by one,
under a stone in the garden, a quantity of small pieces of
money, which amounted, when discovered, to 5 or 6 florins;
and there are few countries which cannot afford similar instan-
ces of their domestic thefts.
Of the perseverance of the Raven in the act of incubation,
Mr. White has related the following remarkable anecdote: In
the centre of a grove near Selborne there stood a tall and
shapeless oak which bulged out into a large excrescence near
the middle of the stem. On this tree a pair of Ravens had
fixed their residence for such a series of years that the oak
was distinguished by the title of “The Raven Tree.” Many
were the attempts of the neighboring youths to get at this nest.
The difficulty whetted their inclinations, and each was ambi-
tious of accomplishing the arduous task ; but when they arrived
at the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was so far
beyond their grasp, that the boldest lads were deterred, and
acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. Thus the
Ravens continued to build, and rear their young in security,
until the fatal day on which the wood was to be levelled.
This was in the month of February, when these birds usually
begin to sit. The saw was applied to the trunk, the wedges
NORTHERN RAVEN, 125
were driven, the woods echoed to the heavy blows of the beetle
or mallet, and the tree nodded to its fall; but still the devoted
Raven sat on. At last, when it gave way, she was flung from
her ancient eyry; and a victim to parental affection, was
whipped down by the twigs, and brought lifeless to the
ground.
The young, at first more white than black, are fed by food
previously prepared in the craw of the mother and then dis-
gorged by the bill, nearly in the manner of pigeons. The male
at this time, doubly vigilant and industrious, not only provides
for, but defends his family vigorously from every hostile attack,
and shows a particular enmity to the Kite when he appears in
his neighborhood, pouncing ypon him and striking with his
bill until sometimes both antagonists descend to the ground.
The young are long and affectionately fed by the parents; and
though they soon leave the nest, they remain perching on the
neighboring rocks, yet unable to make any extensive flight, and
pass the time in continual complaining cries till the approach
of the parent with food, when their note changes into craw,
craw, craw. Now and then as they gain strength they make
efforts to fly, and then return to their rocky roost. About 15
days after leaving the nest, they become so well prepared for
flight as to accompany the parents out on their excursions from
morning to night; and it is amusing to watch the progress of
this affectionate association, the young continuing the whole
summer to go out with the old in the morning, and as regularly
return with them again in the evening, so that however we may
despise the appetite of the Raven, we cannot but admire the
instinctive morality of his nature.
Like birds of prey, the Ravens reject from the stomach, by
the bill, the hard and indigestible parts of their food, as the
stones of fruit and the bones of small fish which they some-
times eat.
The Northern Raven has been separated lately from the
“ Mexican” race (for which latter the name of sznuatus has been
retained); and the distribution of the Mexican bird is given
as from the Rocky Mountains westward. The northern torm
126 SINGING BIRDS.
occurs throughout Canada north to the Arctic Ocean and west to
the Pacific.
Of late years the Raven has almost forsaken the New England
shores, though it is still numerous around the Bay of Fundy, and
occurs locally in small numbers along the coast of the Atlantic to
North Carolina. In the west it ranges south to northern Michigan
and British Columbia. It is more abundant to the westward of the
Mississippi than in the Eastern States.
CROW.
CoRVUS AMERICANUS,
Cuar. Black, with gloss of purple tinge. Length 17 to 21 inches.
Vest. Inatree; made of sticks and twigs, lined with grass and leaves.
£gys. 4-6; sea-green to dull olive, blotched with brown ; 1.70 X 1.20.
The Crow, like the Raven, which it greatly resembles, is a
denizen of nearly the whole world. It is found even in New
Holland and the Philippine Islands, but is rare in Sweden,
where the Raven abounds. It is also common in Siberia, and
plentiful in the Arctic deserts beyond the Lena.
The native Crow is a constant and troublesomely abundant
resident in most of the settled districts of North America,
as well as an inhabitant of the Western wilds throughout
the Rocky Mountains, to the banks of the Oregon and the
shores of the Pacific. These birds only retire into the forests
in the breeding season, which lasts from March to May. At
this time they are dispersed through the woods in pairs, and
roost in the neighborhood of the spot which they have selected
for their nest ; and the conjugal union, once formed, continues
for life. They are now very noisy, and vigilant against any
intrusion on their purpose, and at times appear influenced by
mutual jealousy, but never proceed to any violence. The
tree they select is generally lofty, and preference seems often
given to some dark and concealing evergreen. The nest is
formed externally of small twigs coarsely interlaced together,
plastered and matted with earth, moss, and long horse-hair,
CROW. 127
and thickly and carefully lined with large quantities of the last
material, wool, or the finest fibres of roots, so as to form a very
comfortable bed for the helpless and naked young.
The male at this season is extremely watchful, reconnoitring
the neighborhood, and giving an alarm as any person happens
to approach towards their nest, when both retire to a distance
till the intruder disappears ; and in order the better to conceal
their brood, they remain uncommonly silent until these are in
a situation to follow them on the wing. The male also carries
food to his mate while confined to her eggs, and at times
relieves her by sitting in her absence. In Europe, when the
Raven, the Buzzard, or the Kestrel makes his appearance, the
pair join instantly in the attack, and sometimes, by dint of furi-
ous blows, destroy their enemy; yet the Butcher Bird, more
alert and courageous, not only resists, but often vanquishes
the Crows and carries off their young. Like the Ravens,
endued with an unrestrained and natural affection, they con-
tinue the whole succeeding summer to succor and accompany
their offspring in all their undertakings and excursions.
The Crow is equally omnivorous with the Raven; insects,
worms, carrion, fish, grain, fruits, and in short everything
digestible by any or all the birds in existence, being alike
acceptable to this gormandizing animal. Its destruction of
bird-eggs is also very considerable. In Europe Crows are often
detected feeding their voracious young with the precious eggs
of the Partridge, which they very sagaciously convey by care-
fully piercing and sticking them expertly on the bill. They
also know how to break nuts and shell-fish by dropping them
from a great height upon the rocks below. They visit even the
snares and devour the birds which they find caught, attacking
the weak and wounded game. ‘They also sometimes seize on
young chickens and Ducks, and have even been observed to
pounce upon Pigeons in the manner of Hawks, and with almost
equal success. So familiar and audacious are they in some
parts of the Levant that they will frequent the courts of houses,
and, like Harpies, alight boldly on the dishes, as the servants are
conveying in the dinner, and carry off the meat, if not driven
128 SINGING BIRDS.
away by blows. In turn, however, the Crow finds enemies too
powerful for him to conquer, such as the Kite and Eagle Owl,
who occasionally make a meal of this carrion bird, — a voracious
propensity which the Virginian Owl also sometimes exhibits
towards the same species. Wherever the Crow appears, the
smaller birds take the alarm, and vent upon him their just
suspicions and reproaches. But it is only the redoubtable
King Bird who has courage for the attack, beginning the onset
by pursuing and diving on his back from above, and haras-
sing the plunderer with such violence that he is generally glad
to get out of the way and forego his piratical visit ; in short, a
single pair of these courageous and quarrelsome birds are suf-
ficient to clear the Crows from an extensive cornfield.
The most serious mischief of which the Crow is guilty
is that of pillaging the maize-field. He commences at the
planting-time by picking up and rooting out the sprouting
grain, and in the autumn, when it becomes ripe, whole flocks,
now assembled at their roosting-places, blacken the neighboring
fields as soon as they get into motion, and do extensive dam-
age at every visit, from the excessive numbers who now rush to
the inviting feast.
Their rendezvous or roosting-places are the resort in au-
tumn of all the Crows and their families for many miles round.
The blackening silent train continues to arrive for more than
an hour before sunset, and some still straggle on until dark.
They never arrive in dense flocks, but always in long lines,
each falling into the file as he sees opportunity. This gregarious
inclination is common to many birds in the autumn which
associate only in pairs in the summer. The forests and groves,
stripped of their agreeable and protecting verdure, seem no
longer safe and pleasant to the feathered nations. Exposed to
the birds of prey, which daily augment in numbers ; penetrated
by the chilling blasts, which sweep without control through the
naked branches, — the birds, now impelled by an overruling
instinct, seek in congregated numbers some general, safer, and
more commodious retreat. Islands of reeds, dark and solitary
thickets, and neglected swamps, are the situations chosen for
CROW. 129
their general diurnal retreats and roosts. Swallows, Blackbirds,
Rice Birds, and Crows seem always to prefer the low shelter of
reed-flats. On the River Delaware, in Pennsylvania, there are
two of these remarkable Crow-roosts. The one mentioned by
Wilson is an island near Newcastle called the Pea-Patch, —a
low, flat, alluvial spot, just elevated above high-water mark,
and thickly covered with reeds, on which the Crows alight
and take shelter for the night. Whether this roost be now
occupied by these birds or not, I cannot pretend to say; but in
December, 1829, I had occasion to observe their arrival on
Reedy Island, just above the commencement of the bay of that
river, in vast numbers; and as the wind wafted any beating
vessel towards the shore, they rose in a cloud and filled the
air with clamor. Indeed, their vigilant and restless cawing
continued till after dark.
Creatures of mere instinct, they foresee no perils beyond
their actual vision; and thus, when they least expect it, are
sometimes swept away by an unexpected destruction. Some
years ago, during the prevalence of a sudden and violent north-
east storm accompanied by heavy rains, the Pea-Patch Island
was wholly inundated in the night; and the unfortunate Crows,
dormant and bewildered, made no attempts to escape, and
were drowned by thousands, so that their bodies blackened the
shores the following day for several miles in extent.
The Crows, like many other birds, become injurious and
formidable only in the gregarious season. At other times they
live so scattered, and are so shy and cautious, that they are
but seldom seen. But their armies, like all other great and
terrific assemblies, have the power, in limited districts, of
doing very sensible mischief to the agricultural interests of the
community; and in consequence, the poor Crows, notwith-
standing their obvious services in the destruction of a vast host
of insects and their larvee, are proscribed as felons in all civil-
ized countries, and, with the wolves, panthers, and foxes, a
price is put upon their heads. In consequence, various means
of ensnaring the outlaws have been had recourse to. Of the
gun they are very cautious, and suspect its appearance at the
VOL. I. —9
130 SINGING BIRDS.
first glance, perceiving with ready sagacity the wily manner of
the fowler. So fearful and suspicious are they of human arti-
fices that a mere line stretched round a field is often found
sufficient to deter these wily birds from a visit to the cornfield.
Against poison they are not so guarded, and sometimes corn
steeped in hellebore is given them, which creates giddiness
and death.
Another curious method is that of pinning a live Crow to the
ground by the wings, stretched out on his back, and retained
in this posture by two sharp, forked sticks. In this situation,
his loud cries attract other Crows, who come sweeping down
to the prostrate prisoner, and are grappled in his claws. In
this way each successive prisoner may be made the innocent
means of capturing his companion. The reeds in which they
roost, when dry enough, are sometimes set on fire also to pro-
cure their destruction ; and to add to the fatality produced by
the flames, gunners are also stationed round to destroy those
that attempt to escape by flight. In severe winters they suffer
occasionally from famine and cold, and fall sometimes dead
in the fields. According to Wilson, in one of these severe
seasons, more than 600 Crows were shot on the carcase of a
dead horse, which was placed at a proper shooting distance
from a stable. The premiums obtained for these, and the price
procured for the quills, produced to the farmer nearly the value
of the horse when living, besides affording feathers sufficient to
fill a bed.
The Crow is easily raised and domesticated, and soon learns
to distinguish the different members of the family with which
he is associated. He screams at the approach of a stranger ;
learns to open the door by alighting on the latch; attends
regularly at meal times; is very noisy and loquacious ; imitates
the sounds of various words which he hears; is very thievish,
given to hiding curiosities in holes and crevices, and is very
fond of carrying off pieces of metal, corn, bread, and food of
all kinds; he is also particularly attached to the society of his
master, and recollects him sometimes after a long absence.
It is commonly believed and asserted in some parts of this
FISH CROW. 131
country that the Crows engage at times in general combat ;
but it has never been ascertained whether this hostility arises
from civil discord, or the opposition of ¢wo different species
contesting for some exclusive privilege of subsisting ground.
It is well known that Rooks often contend with each other,
and drive away by every persecuting means individuals who
arrive among them from any other rookery.
NoTE. — The Fioripa Crow (C. americanus floridanus) differs
from true americanus in having the wings and tail shorter, and the
bill and feet larger. It is restricted to southern Florida.
FISH CROW.
CORVUS OSSIFRAGUS.
Cuar. Black glossed with steel-blue. Length 15 to 17% inches.
Vest. Ona tree; of sticks and twigs firmly laid, lined with leaves.
Eggs. 5-7; sea-green or olive, blotched and spotted with brown;
1.50 X 1.05.
Wilson was the first to observe the distinctive traits of this
smaller and peculiar American species of Crow along the sea-
coast of Georgia. It is met with as far north as the coast of
New Jersey; and although we did not see it in the western
interior of the continent, it is common on the banks of the
Oregon, where it was nesting in the month of April. It
keeps apart from the common species, and instead of assem-
bling to roost among the reeds at night, retires, towards
evening, from’ the shores which afford it a subsistence, and
perches in the neighboring woods. Its notes, probably various,
are at times hoarse and guttural, at others weaker and higher.
These Crows pass most of their time near rivérs, hovering over
the stream to catch up dead and perhaps living fish, or other
animal matters which float within their reach; at these they
dive with considerable celerity, and seizing them in their claws,
convey them to an adjoining tree, and devour the fruits of
their predatory industry at leisure. They also snatch up water-
132 SINGING BIRDS.
lizards in the same manner, and feed upon small crabs; at
times they are seen even contending with the Gulls for their
prey. It is amusing to see with what steady watchfulness they
hover over the water in search of their precarious food, having,
in fact, all the traits of the Gull; but they subsist more on
accidental supplies than by any regular system of fishing. On
land they have sometimes all the familiarity of the Magpie,
hopping upon the backs of cattle, in whose company they no
doubt occasionally meet with a supply of insects when other
sources fail. They are also regular in their attendance on the
fishermen of New Jersey for the purpose of gleaning up the
refuse of the fish. They are less shy and suspicious than
the common Crow, and showing no inclination for plundering
the cornfields, are rather friends than enemies to the farmer.
They appear near Philadelphia from the middle of March to
the beginning of June, during the season of the shad and herring
fishery.
The habitat now accorded to this species is “the Atlantic and
Gulf States north to Long Island and west to Louisiana.” It
probably occurs occasionally along the Connecticut shore, and may
straggle into Massachusetts ; though Mr. Allen has omitted it from
his list.
On the Pacific coast it is replaced by C. caurinus.
All Crows are more or less fish-eaters, and in some localities fish
forms their staple diet. On the shores of Cape Breton, near the
coal districts, the fish-eating Crows are separated by the natives
from the common sort. It is said that the flight and voice of these
birds can be readily distinguished. Some miners working at
Lepreaux, in New Brunswick, who were familiar with the fish-
eating Crows of Cape Breton, drew my attention to a flock of
apparently small and peculiar-voiced Crows gleaning along the
shores; but though easily trapped by a fish bait, they proved to
be nothing more than rather small common Crows.
Note. — The AMERICAN MaGpiE (Pica pica hudsonica) is a
Western and Northwestern bird, and occurs as a straggler only
east of the Mississippi. It has been taken in Michigan, northern
Illinois, and western Ontario; also at Chambly, near Montreal.
aie
ty NaS ue
BLUE JAY.
CYANOCITTA CRISTATA.
Cuar. Above, purplish blue; below, pale purplish gray, lighter on
throat and tail-coverts ; wings and tail bright blue barred with black; wing-
coverts, secondaries, and most of tail-feathers broadly tipped with white.
Head conspicuously crested ; tail wedge-shaped. Length 11 to 12% inches.
Nest. In a small conifer, about 20 feet from the ground, situated in
deep forest or near a settlement; roughly but firmly constructed of twigs
and roots, and lined with fine roots.
Eggs. 4-5; pale olive or buff, spotted with yellowish brown; 1.10
X 0.85.
This elegant and common species is met with in the interior,
from the remote northwestern regions near Peace River, in the
34th to the 56th degree, Lake Winnipeg in the 49th degree,
the eastern steppes of the Rocky Mountains, and southwest-
ward to the banks of the Arkansas; also along the Atlantic
regions from the confines of Newfoundland to the peninsula of
Florida and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
134 SINGING BIRDS.
The Blue Jay is a constant inhabitant both of the wooded
wilderness and the vicinity of the settled farm, though more
familiar at the approach of winter and early in spring than at
any other season. These wanderings or limited migrations are
induced by necessity alone; his hoards of grain, nuts, and
acorns either have failed or are forgotten: for, like other
misers, he is more assiduous to amass than to expend or en-
joy his stores, and the fruits of his labors very frequently either
devolve to the rats or squirrels, or accidentally assist in the
replanting of the forest. His visits at this time are not un-
frequent in the garden and orchard, and his usual petulant
address of day, jay, jdy, and other harsh and trumpeting
articulations, soon make his retreat known to all in his neigh-
borhood. So habitual is this sentinel cry of alarm, and so ex-
pressive, that all the birds within call, as well as other wild
animals, are instantly on the alert, so that the fowler and
hunter become generally disappointed of their game by this
his garrulous and noisy propensity; he is therefore, for his
petulance, frequently killed without pity or profit, as his flesh,
though eaten, has but little to recommend it. His more com-
plaisant notes, when undisturbed, though guttural and echoing,
are by no means unpleasant, and fall in harmoniously with the
cadence of the feathered choristers around him, so as to form
a finishing part to the general music of the grove. His ac-
cents of blandishment, when influenced by the softer passions,
are low and musical, so as to be scarcely heard beyond the
thick branches where he sits concealed; but as soon as dis-
covered he bursts out into notes of rage and reproach, accom-
panying his voice by jerks and actions of temerity and defiance.
Indeed the Jay of Europe, with whom our beau agrees entirely
in habits, is so irascible and violent in his movements as some-
times to strangle himself in the narrow fork of a branch from
which he has been found suspended. Like the European spe-
cies, he also exhibits a great antipathy to the Owl, and by his
loud and savage vociferation soon brings together a noisy troop
of all the busy birds in the neighborhood. To this garrulous
attack the night wanderer has no reply but a threatening stare
BLUE JAY. 135
of inelifference ; and as soon as opportunity offers, he quietly
slips from his slandering company. Advantage in some coun-
tries is taken of this dislike for the purpose of catching birds ;
thus the Owl, being let out of a box, sometimes makes a hoot,
which instantly assembles a motley group, who are then caught
by liming the neighboring twigs on which they perch. In this
gossip the Jay and Crow are always sure to take part if within
sight or hearing of the ca//, and are thus caught or destroyed
at will. The common Jay is even fond of imitating the harsh
voice of the Owl and the noisy Kestrel. I have also heard the
Blue Jay mock with a taunting accent the 4é oo, ké 00, or quail-
ing, of the Red-shouldered Hawk. Wilson likewise heard him
take singular satisfaction in teasing and mocking the little
American Sparrow Hawk, and imposing upon him by the pre-
tended plaints of a wounded bird ; in which frolic several would
appear to join, until their sport sometimes ended in sudden
consternation, by the Hawk, justly enough, pouncing on one of
them as his legitimate and devoted prey.
His talent for mimicry when domesticated is likewise so far
capable of improvement as to enable him to imitate human
speech, articulating words with some distinctness; and on
hearing voices, like a Parrot, he would endeavor to contribute
his important share to the tumult. Bewick remarks of the
common Jay of Europe that he heard one so exactly counter-
feit the action of a saw that, though on a Sunday, he could
scarcely be persuaded but that some carpenter was at work.
Another, unfortunately, rendered himself a serious nuisance by
learning to hound a cur dog upon the domestic cattle, whistling
and calling him by name, so that at length a serious accident
occurring in consequence, the poor Jay was proscribed.
One which I have seen in a state of domestication behaved
with all the quietness and modest humility of Wilson’s caged
bird with a petulant companion. He seldom used his voice,
came in to lodge in the house at night in any corner where he
was little observed, but unfortunately perished by an accident
before the completion of his education.
The favorite food of this species is chestnuts, acorns, and
136 SINGING BIRDS.
Indian corn or maize, the latter of which he breaks before
swallowing. He also feeds occasionally on the larger insects
and caterpillars, as well as orchard fruits, particularly cherries,
and does not even refuse the humble fare of potatoes. In
times of scarcity he falls upon carrion, and has been known to
venture into the barn, through accidental openings ; when, as
if sensible of the danger of purloining, he is active and silent,
and if surprised, postponing his garrulity, he retreats with
noiseless precipitation and with all the cowardice of a thief.
The worst trait of his appetite, however, is his relish for the
eggs of other birds, in quest of which he may frequently be
seen prowling ; and with a savage cruelty he sometimes also
devours the callow young, spreading the plaint of sorrow and
alarm wherever he flits. The whole neighboring community
of little birds, assembled at the cry of distress, sometimes, how-
ever, succeed in driving off the ruthless plunderer, who, not
always content with the young, has been seen to attack the old,
though with dubious success; but to the gallant and quarrel-
some King Bird he submits like a coward, and driven to seek
shelter, even on the ground, from the repeated blows of his
antagonist, sneaks off well contented to save his life.
Although a few of these birds are seen with us nearly through
the winter, numbers, no doubt, make predatory excursions to
milder regions, so that they appear somewhat abundant at this
season in the Southern States ; yet they are known to rear their
young from Canada to South Carociina, so that their migrations
may be nothing more than journeys from the highlands
towards the warmer and more productive sea-coast, or eastern
frontier.
East of the Mississippi the Blue Jay has been rarely seen north
of the 5oth parallel.
Note. — A smaller race, which differs also from true crzs¢aza in
having less white on the tips of the secondaries and tail-feathers,
has been named the FLoripa BLUE Jay (C. crtstata florincola).
It is found in Florida and along the Gulf coast.
FLORIDA JAY. 137
FLORIDA JAY.
APHELOCOMA FLORIDANA.
Cuar. Above, dull azure blue; back with patch of brownish gray,
throat and chest grayish white streaked with ashy; belly, brownish gray.
No crest; tail longer than wing. Length 10% to 12% inches.
Vest. In low tree or thicket of bushes; made of twigs and roots, lined
with fine roots and moss. :
Eggs. 4-5; pale green or bluish gray, spotted with rufous and black ;
1.10 X 0 80.
This elegant species is, as far as yet known, almost wholly
confined to the interior of the mild peninsula of East Florida.
In a tour through the lower parts of Georgia and West Florida,
protracted to the middle of March, I saw none of these birds ;
and at the approach of winter they even retire to the south
of St. Augustine, as Mr. Ord did not meet with them until
about the middle of February ; from that time, however, they
were seen daily, flying low and hopping through the luxuriant
thickets, or peeping from the dark branches of the live-oaks
which adorn the outlet of the St. Juan. These birds appear
to possess the usual propensities of their tribe, being quarrel-
some, active, and garrulous. Their voice is less harsh than
that of the common Blue Jay, and they have a variety of notes,
some of which, probably imitations, are said to have a resem-
blance to the song of the Thrush and the call of the common
Jay.
Only a single brood is raised in thé season. Its food is very
similar to that of the other species; namely, berries, fruits,
mast, and insects. It likewise collects snails from the marshy
grounds, feeds largely on the seeds of the sword-palmetto ;
and, in the manner of the Titmouse, it secures its food be-
tween its feet, and breaks it into pieces previous to swallowing.
Like other species of the genus, it destroys the eggs and young
of small birds, despatching the latter by repeated blows on the
head. It is also easily reconciled to the cage, and feeds on
fresh or dried fruits and various kinds of nuts. Its attempts at
mimicry. in this state are very imperfect.
Nia yen
Seis
S
\;
CANADA JAY.
WHISKEY JACK. MOOSE BIRD.
PERISOREUS CANADENSIS.
Cuar. Above, ashy gray; head and nape smoky black; forehead
and lower parts whitish gray; breast brownish gray; wings and tail
dark ashy, tipped obscurely with white. Young: uniform dull smoky
black, paler beneath. Length, 11 to 12 inches.
Nest. In a coniferous tree; a bulky but compact structure of dried
twigs, shreds of bark and moss thickly lined with feathers.
Eggs. 4-5; of light gray or buffish, spotted with dark gray, lilac gray,
and pale brown; 1.15 X 0.80.
This species, with the intrusive habits and plain plumage of
the Pie, is almost confined to the northern regions of America,
being met with around Hudson’s Bay, but becoming rare near
the St. Lawrence, and in winter only straggling along the coast
as far as Nova Scotia. Westward, occasionally driven by the
severity of the weather and failure of food, they make their
appearance in small parties in the interior of Maine and north-
CANADA JAY. 139
ern parts of Vermont, where, according to Audubon, they are
frequently known to breed. They also descend into the State
of New York as far as .he town of Hudson and the banks of
the Mohawk. In the month of May I observed a wandering
brood of these birds, old and young, on the shady borders
of the Wahlamet, in the Oregon territory, where they had
probably been bred. ‘They descended to the ground near a
spring in quest of insects and small shells.
According to Mr. Hutchins, like the Pie, when near the
habitations and tents of the inhabitants and natives, it is given
to pilfering everything within reach, and is sometimes so bold
as to venture into the tents and snatch the meat from the
dishes even, whether fresh or salt. It has also the mischievous
sagacity of watching the hunters set their traps for the Martin,
from which it purloins the bait. Its appetite, like that of the
Crow, appears omnivorous. It feeds on worms, various insects,
and their larvee, and on flesh of different kinds; lays up stores
of berries in hollow trees for winter; and at times, with the
reindeer, is driven to the necessity of feeding on lichens.
The severe winters of the wilds it inhabits, urges it to seek
support in the vicinity of habitations. Like the common Jay,
at this season it leaves the woods to make excursions after
food, trying every means for subsistence ; and tamed by hun-
ger, it seeks boldly the society of men and animals. These
birds are such praters as to be considered Mocking Birds, and
are superstitiously dreaded by the aborigines. They com-
monly fly in pairs or rove in small families, are no way difficult
to approach, and keep up a kind of friendly chattering, some-
times repeating their notes for a quarter of an hour at a time,
immediately before snow or falling weather. When caught,
they seldom long survive, though they never neglect their food.
Like most of their genus, they breed early in the spring, build-
ing their nests, which are formed of twigs and grass in the pine-
trees. They lay 4 to 6 light-grayish eggs, faintly marked with
brown spots. The young brood, at first, are perfect Crows, or
nearly quite black, and continue so for some time.
According to Richardson, this inelegant but familiar bird
140 SINGING BIRDS.
inhabits all the woody districts of the remote fur countries from
the 65th parallel to Canada, and now and then in severe win-
ters extends his desultory migrations within the northern limits
of the United States. Scarcely has the winter traveller in those
cold regions chosen a suitable place of repose in the forest,
cleared away the snow, lighted his fire, and prepared his tent,
when Whiskey Jack insidiously pays him a visit, and boldly
descends into the social circle to pick up any crumbs of frozen
fish or morsels of dry meat that may have escaped the mouths
of the weary and hungry sledge-dogs. This confidence is almost
the only recommendation of our familiar intruder. There is
nothing pleasing in his voice, plumage, or attitudes. But this
dark, sinister dwarf of the North is now the only inhabitant of
those silent and trackless forests, and trusting from necessity in
the forbearance of man, he fearlessly approaches, and craves
his allowed pittance from the wandering stranger who visits his
dreary domain. At the fur posts and fishing stations he is also
a steady attendant, becoming so tamed in the winter by the
terrible inclemency of the climate as to eat tamely from the
offered hand; yet at the same time, wild and indomitable
under this garb of humility, he seldom survives long in confine-
ment, and pines away with the loss of his accustomed liberty.
He hops with activity from branch to branch, but when at rest,
sits with his head drawn in, and with his plumage loose. The
voice of this inelegant bird is plaintive and squeaking, though
he occasionally makes a low chattering, especially when his food
appears in view. Like our Blue Jay, he has the habit of hoard-
ing berries, morsels of meat, etc., in the hollows of trees or
beneath their bark. These magazines prove useful in winter,
and enable him to rear his hardy brood even before the disap-
pearance of the snow from the ground, and long before any
other bird indigenous to those climates. The nest is concealed
with such care that but few of the natives have seen it.
Whiskey Jack has evidently moved somewhat southward since
Nuttall made his observations, for the species is now a fairly com-
mon resident of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, as well as of
the northern portions of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New
CANADA JAY. 141
York, and Michigan. Near Ottawa, and in the Muskoka district
of Ontario, it occurs regularly, though it is not abundant. In Oc-
tober, 1889, one example was taken at Arlington Heights, near
Boston, and several have been reported from other localities in
Massachusetts.
I examined a nest taken near Edmundston, New Brunswick, on
April 7, 1883, at which date the country there was covered with
snow and ice. The nest was placed on a small tree near the main
highway, and not many hundred yards from the railroad station.
As the cold in that region is intense, the temperature often being at
— 30° to —4o° F. in midwinter, it is surprising that the eggs are
ever hatched. But the nest is made very warm, and the birds sit
close, and when one parent steps off the other at once steps on.
By the first of June the young are in full feather and taking care
of themselves.
Nuttall’s opinion that these birds appear bold and familiar only
when pressed by the hunger of winter, has not found support in
my experience. Frequently when camping in the New Brunswick
woods during the summer vacation I have seen numbers of these
birds gather about my camp-fire within a few minutes after it has
been lighted; and they did not hesitate to pick up a piece of meat
thrown toward them. Mr. Thompson reports a similar experience
in Manitoba. He describes these birds coming to his camp-fireside
and helping themselves to scraps lying but a few feet from where
he was sitting. Several other observers, however, have recorded
a similar opinion to Nuttall’s; and it may be that the fearless birds
are restricted to localities where they are not disturbed.
The Canadian hunters and lumbermen have a_ superstitious
respect for these birds, fearing the ill-luck that is said to result
from killing one, and Whiskey Jack may have discovered that.
NoTE.— THE LABRADOR Jay (P. canadensis nigricapilus)
differs from true canadenszs in being darker in genera] coloration.
It is restricted to the coast region of Labrador.
TUFTED TITMOUSE.
PARUS BICOLOR.
Cuar. Above, bluish ash; beneath, dull white; flanks tinged with
yellowish brown ; forehead black ; head conspicuously crested. Length
534 to 6% inches.
vest. In a cavity of a tree or stump; composed of leaves, moss, or
woollen material, lined with feathers.
£ggs. 5-8; white or pale cream, spotted with reddish brown; 0.75
X 0.55.
From the geographic limits of this species, as it occurs to
me, I am inclined to believe that the bird seen in Greenland
may be different from the present, as it scarcely appears to
exist north beyond the States of Pennsylvania or New York.
They are seldom, if ever, seen or heard in this part of Massa-
chusetts, and instead of being more abundant to the north, as
believed by Wilson, they are probably not known there at all.
In the Southern States, at least in winter and spring, they are
very common, and present all the usual habits and notes of the
genus. The numbers which I saw in the Southern States from
January to March would seem to indicate a migratory habit ;
but whether they had arrived from the Northeast, or from the
great forests of the West, could not be conjectured.
The Feto, as I may call this bird from one of his character-
istic notes, and the Carolina Wren, were my constant and
amusing companions during the winter as I passed through the
dreary solitudes of the Southern States. The sprightliness,
caprice, and varied musical talent of this species are quite
interesting, and more peculiarly so when nearly all the other
vocal tenants of the forest are either absent or silent. Ta
TUFTED TITMOUSE. 143
hear in the middle of January, when at least the leafless trees
and dark cloudy skies remind us of the coldest season, the
lively, cheering, varied pipe of this active and hardy bird, is
particularly gratifying ; and though his voice on paper may ap-
pear to present only a list of quaint articulations, yet the deli-
cacy, energy, pathos, and variety of his simple song, like many
other things in Nature, are far beyond the feeble power of
description ; and if in these rude graphic outlines of the inim-
itable music of birds I am able to draw a caricature sufficient
to indicate the individual performer, I shall have attained all
the object to be hoped for in an attempt at natural delineation.
The notes of the Peto generally partake of the high, echo-
ing, clear tone of the Baltimore Bird. Among his more extra-
ordinary expressions I was struck with the call of ’whzp-tom-
killy Ridly, and now and then ’whip fom killy, with occasionally
some variation in the tone and expression, which was very
lively and agreeable. The middle syllable (40m) was pro-
nounced in a hollow reverberating tone. In a few minutes
after the subject and its variations were finished, in the estima-
tion of the musical performer, he suddenly twisted himself
round the branch on which he had sat, with a variety of odd
and fantastic motions; and then, in a lower, hoarser, harsh
voice, and in a peevish tone, exactly like that of the Jay and
the Chickadee, went day-day-day-ddy, and day-day-day-day-
ddit; sometimes this loud note changed into one which be-
came low and querulous. On some of these occasions he also
called ’¢shica dee-dee. The jarring call-would then change
occasionally into kaz-tee-did did-dit-did. These peevish notes
would often be uttered in anger at being approached ; and
then again would perhaps be answered by some neighboring
rival, against whom they appeared levelled in taunt and ridi-
cule, being accompanied by extravagant gestures.
Later in the season, in February, when in the lower part of
Alabama the mild influence of spring began already to be felt,
our favorite, as he gayly pursued the busy tribe of insects, now
his principal food, called, as he vaulted restlessly from branch
to branch, in an echoing rapid voice, at short intervals, pedd-
144 SINGING BIRDS.
pelo-petb-peto. This tender call ‘of recognition was at length
answered, and continued at intervals for a minute or two; they
then changed their quick call into a slower peo péto péto ; and
now the natural note passed into the plaintive key, sounding
like gue-ah gue-h ; then in the same breath a jarring note like
that of the Catbird, and in part like the sound made by put-
ting the lower lip to the upper teeth, and calling ’¢sh’ wah, ’ésh’
vah. After this the call of kerry-kerry-kerry-kerry struck up
with an echoing sound, heightened by the hollow bank of the
river whence it proceeded. At length, more delicately than at
first, in an under tone, you hear anew, and in a: tender accent,
peto peto peto. In the caprice and humor of our performer,
tied by no rules but those of momentary feeling, the expression
will perhaps change into a slow and full peet-peet-a-peet-a-peet,
then a low and very rapid her-ker-her-her-ker-kerry, sometimes
so quick as almost to resemble the rattle of a watchman. At
another time his morning song commences like the gentle
whispers of an aérial spirit, and then becoming high and clear
like the voice of the nightingale, he cries keeva keeva kéeva
keeva ; but soon falling into the querulous, the day-day-day-day-
day-dait of the Chickadee terminates his performance Imita-
tive, as well as inventive, I have heard the Peto also sing
something like the lively chatter of the Swallow, /esa-/eta-leta-
Zetait, and then vary into é/o-péto-péto-péto-peto extremely
quick. Unlike the warblers, our cheerful Peto has no trill, or
any other notes than these simple, playful, or pathetic calls;
yet the compass of voice and the tone in which they are
uttered, their capricious variety and their general effect, at the
season of the year when they are heard, are quite as pleasing
to the contemplative observer as the more exquisite notes of
the summer songsters of the verdant forest.
The sound of ’whip-tom-kelly, which I heard this bird utter,
on the 17th of January, 1830, near Barnwell, in South Carolina,
is very remarkable, and leads me to suppose that the species is
also an inhabitant of the West India Islands, where Sloane
attributes this note to the Red-eyed Flycatcher ; but it is now
known to be the note of a tropical species, the vireo longiros-
TUFTED TITMOUSE. 145
zris, and which our bird had probably heard and mimicked in its
distant clime.
The Peto, besides insects, like the Jay, to which he is allied,
chops up acorns, cracks nuts and hard and shelly seeds to get
at their contents, holding them meanwhile in his feet. He
also searches and pecks decayed trees and their bark with con-
siderable energy and industry in quest of larve ; he often also
enters into hollow trunks, prying after the same objects. In
these holes they commonly roost in winter, and occupy the
same secure situations, or the holes of the small Woodpecker,
for depositing and hatching their eggs, which takes place early
in April or in May, according to the different parts of the
Union they happen to inhabit. Sometimes they dig out a
cavity for themselves with much labor, and always line the
hollow with a variety of warm materials. Their eggs, about six
to eight, are white with a few small specks of brownish red near
the larger end. The whole family, young and old, may be seen
hunting together throughout the summer and winter, and keep-
ing up a continued mutual chatter.
According to the observations of Wilson it soon becomes
familiar in confinement, and readily makes its way out of a
wicker cage by repeated blows at the twigs. It may be fed
on hemp-seed, cherry-stones, apple-pippins, and hickory nuts,
broken and thrown in to it. In its natural state, like the rest
of its vicious congeners, it sometimes destroys small birds by
blows on the skull.
This species belongs to the Carolinian faunal area, and occurs
regularly only from about the 4oth parallel southward; north of
that it is but an accidental straggler. A few examples have been
taken in New England, mostly in Connecticut.
VOL. I.— 10
146 SINGING BIRDS.
CHICKADEE.
PARUS ATRICAPILLUS.
Cuar. Above, ashy gray; below, grayish white; flanks buffy; crown
and throat black; cheek white. Length 434 to 534 inches.
Vest. Ina cavity made in a decayed stump, entering from the top or
side; composed of wool or inner fur of small mammals firmly and
compactly felted. Sometimes moss and hair are used, and a lining of
feathers.
Leggs. 5-8; white speckled with reddish brown, 0.60 X 0.50.
This familiar, hardy, and restless little bird chiefly inhabits
the Northern and Middle States as well as Canada, in which it
is even resident in winter around Hudson’s Bay, and has been
met with at 62° on the northwest coast. In all the Northern
and Middle States, during autumn and winter, families of these
birds are seen chattering and roving through the woods, busily
engaged in gleaning their multifarious food, along with Nut-
hatches and Creepers, the whole forming a busy, active, and
noisy group, whose manners, food, and habits bring them
together in a common pursuit. Their diet varies with the
season ; for besides insects, their larvee and eggs, of which they
are more particularly fond, in the month of September they
leave the woods and assemble familiarly in our orchards and
gardens, and even enter the thronging cities in quest of that
support which their native forests now deny them. Large
seeds of many kinds, particularly those which are oily, as the
sunflower and pine and spruce kernels, are now sought after.
These seeds, in the usual manner of the genus, are seized in
the claws and held against the branch until picked open by the
bill to obtain their contents. Fat of various kinds is also
greedily eaten, and they regularly watch the retreat of the hog-
killers in the country, to glean up the fragments of meat which
adhere to the places where the carcases have been suspended.
At times they feed upon the wax of the candle-berry myrtle
(Myrica cerifera) ; they likewise pick up crumbs near the houses,
and search the weather-boards, and even the window-sills,
1. Chickadee.
3. Cedar Waxwing :
5. Robin,
2. Catbird. 4. Red-Eyed Virco.
CHICKADEE. 147
familiarly for their lurking prey, and are particularly fond of
spiders and the eggs of destructive moths, especially those of
the canker-worm, which they greedily destroy in all its stages
of existence. It is said that they sometimes attack their own
species when the individual is sickly, and aim their blows at
the skull with a view to eat the brain ; but this barbarity I have
never witnessed. In winter, when satisfied, they will descend
to the snow-bank beneath and quench their thirst by swallow-
ing small pieces; in this way their various and frugal meal is
always easily supplied ; and hardy, and warmly clad in light
and very downy feathers, they suffer little inconvenience from
the inclemency of the seasons. Indeed in the winter, or about
the close of October, they at times appear so enlivened as
already to show their amorous attachment, like our domestic
cock, the male approaching his mate with fluttering and vibra-
ting wings ; and in the spring season, the males have obstinate
engagements, darting after each other with great velocity and
anger. Their roost is in the hollows of decayed trees, where
they also breed, making a soft nest of moss, hair, and feathers,
and laying from six to twelve eggs, which are white, with
specks of brown-red. They begin to lay about the middle or
close of April ; and though they commonly make use of natural
or deserted holes of the Woodpecker, yet at times they are
said to excavate a cavity for themselves with much labor. The
first brood take wing about the 7th or roth of June, and they
have sometimes a second towards the end of July. The young,
as soon as fledged, have all the external marks of the adult, —
the head is equally black, and they chatter and skip about
with all the agility and self-possession of their parents, who
appear nevertheless very solicitous for their safety. From this
time the whole family continue to associate together through
the autumn and winter. They seem to move by concert from
tree to tree, keeping up a continued ’¢she-de-de-de-de, and ’tshe-
de-ae-de-dait, preceded by a shrill whistle, all the while busily
engaged picking round the buds and branches hanging from
their extremities and proceeding often in reversed postures,
head downwards, like so many tumblers, prying into every
148 SINGING BIRDS.
crevice of the bark, and searching around the roots and in
every possible retreat of their insect prey or its larva. If the
object chance to fall, they industriously descend to the ground
and glean it up with the utmost economy.
On seeing a cat or other object of natural antipathy, the
Chickadee, like the peevish Jay, scolds in a loud, angry, and
hoarse note, like ’¢she ddigh ddigh déigh. Among the other
notes of this species I have heard a call like she-de-jay, tshe-
dejay, the two first syllables being a slender chirp, with the jay
strongly pronounced. Almost the only note of this bird which
may be called a song is one which is frequently heard at inter-
vals in the depth of the forest, at times of the day usually when
all other birds are silent. We then may sometimes hear in the
midst of this solitude two feeble, drawling, clearly whistled, and
rather melancholy notes, like ’%-dérry, and sometimes ‘ye-
pérrit, and occasionally, but much more rarely, in the same
wiry, whistling, solemn tone, ’4224é. The young, in winter, also
sometimes drawl out these contemplative strains. In all cases
the first syllable is very high and clear, the second word drops
low and ends like a feeble plaint. This is nearly all the quaint
song ever attempted by the Chickadee, and is perhaps the two
notes sounding like the whetting of a saw, remarked of the
Marsh Titmouse in England by Mr. White, in his “ Natural
History of Selborne.” On fine days, about the commencement
of October, I have heard the Chickadee sometimes for half an
hour at a time attempt a lively, petulant warble very different
from his ordinary notes. On these occasions he appears to
flit about, still hunting for his prey, but almost in an ecstasy of
delight and vigor. But after a while the usual drawling note
again occurs. These birds, like many others, are very subject
to the attacks of vermin, and they accumulate in great numbers
around that part of the head and front which is least accessible
to their feet.
The European bird, so very similar to ours, is partial to
marshy situations. Ours has no such predilection, nor do the
American ones, that I can learn, ever lay up or hide any store
of seeds for provision, —a habit reported of the foreign family.
CHICKADEE, 149
In this fact, with so many others, we have an additional evi-
dence of affinity between the Titmouse and Jay, particularly
that short-billed section which includes the Garrulus cana-
densis and G. infaustus. Even the blue color, so common
with the latter, is possessed by several species of this genus.
Indeed, from their aggregate relation and omnivorous habit
we see no better place of arrangement for these birds than
succinctly after the Garruli, or Jays.
Following the authority of Temminck and Montagu, I con-
sidered this bird the same as the European Marsh Titmouse.
I have since seen the bird of Europe in its native country, and
have good reason to believe it wholly different from our lively
and familiar Chickadee. Unlike our bird, it is rather shy, seldom
seen but in pairs or solitary, never in domestic premises, usu-
ally and almost constantly near streams or watercourses, on
the willows, alders, or other small trees impending over
streams, and utters now and then a feeble complaining or
querulous call, and rarely if ever the chicka dee-dee. It also
makes a noise in the spring, as it is said, like the whetting of a
saw, which ours never does. The Chickadee is seldom seen
near waters; often, even in summer, in dry, shady, and se-
cluded woods; but when the weather becomes cold, and as
early as October, roving families, pressed by necessity and the
failure of their ordinary insect fare, now begin to frequent
orchards and gardens, appearing extremely familiar, hungry,
indigent, but industrious, prying with restless anxiety into every
cranny of the bark or holes in decayed trees after dormant in-
sects, spiders, and larvae, descending with the strictest economy
to the ground in quest of every stray morsel of provision which
happens to fall from their grasp. Their quaint notes and jing-
ling warble are heard even in winter on fine days when the
weather relaxes in its severity ; and, in short, instead of being
the river hermit of its European analogue, it adds by its
presence, indomitable action and chatter, an air of cheerful-
ness to the silent and dreary winters of the coldest parts of
America.
150 SINGING BIRDS.
CAROLINA CHICKADEE,
PaRUS CAROLINENSIS.
CuHar. Above, ashy gray tinged with dull brown; head and throat
black; cheek white ; beneath, brownish white; flanks buffish. Length
41% to 43{ inches.
Nest. In a cavity of decayed stump, composed of grass or shreds of
bark, and lined with feathers. Sometimes composed entirely of fur or
fine wool felted compactly.
£ggs. 5-8; white often spotted with reddish brown ; 0.60 X 0.50.
This species, detected by Mr. Audubon, is a constant inhab-
itant of the Southern and Middle States from the borders of
New Jersey to East Florida. It has a predilection for the
borders of ponds, marshes, and swamps, and less gregarious
than the preceding, seldom more than a pair or family are
seen together. It is also shy and retiring; inhabiting at all
times a mild and genial clime, it never seeks out domestic
premises, nor even the waysides, but, like the European Marsh
Titmouse, it remains throughout the year in the tangled woods
and swamps which gave it birth. In the wilds of Oregon late
in autumn we frequently saw small roving restless flocks of
these birds associated often with the Chestnut-Backed species.
At such times both parties were querulous and noisy ; but the
tshe te de de is comparatively feeble, uttered in a slender, wiry
tone. At such times intently gleaning for insects, they show very
little fear, but a good deal of sympathy for their wounded com-
panions, remaining round them and scolding in a petulant and
plaintive tone. At the approach of winter those in the Atlan-
tic region retire farther to the south, and on the Pacific border
they are to be seen in winter in the woods of Upper California ;
but in no instance did we see them approach the vicinity of
the trading posts or the gardens.
A nest of this species discovered by Dr. Bachman was in a
hollow stump about four feet from the ground ; it was rather
shallow, composed of fine wool, cotton, and some fibres of
plants, the whole fitted together so as to be of an uniform
thickness throughout, and contained pure white eggs.
HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE. I5I
HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE.
PaRUS HUDSONICUS.
CuaR. Above, pale dull brown, darker on crown; cheeks white;
below, grayish white; flanks rusty; throat brownish black. Length
5 to 5%.
4Vest. In an excavation in a decayed stump, usually entering from the
top. On the bottom of the cavity is placed a platform of dried moss, and
on this another of felted fur, and upon this latter is set the graceful pouch-
shaped nest of firm felt, made of the inner fur of small mammals.
£ggs. 6-10; creamy white with brown spots in a circle around the
larger end; 0.58 X 0.58.
This more than usually hardy species continues the whole
year about Severn River, braving the inclemency of the winters,
and frequents the juniper-bushes on the buds of which it feeds.
In winter, like the common species, it is seen roving about
in small flocks, busily foraging from tree to tree. It is said to
lay five eggs. Mr. Audubon met with it on the coast of Lab-
rador, where it was breeding, about the middle of July. He
describes the nest as being placed at the height of not more
than three feet from the ground, in the hollow of a decayed
low stump scarcely thicker than a man’s leg, the whole so
rotten that it crumbled to pieces on being touched. It was
shaped like a purse, eight inches in depth, two in diameter in-
side, its sides about a half an inch thick. It was composed of
the finest fur of different quadrupeds, so thickly matted through-
out that it looked as if it had been felted by the hand of man.
On the nest being assailed, the male flew at the intruder, utter-
ing an angry é-/e-te-tee.
The Hudson Bay Chickadee is fairly common in the Maritime
Provinces, though more abundant in winter than in summer. It
has been found breeding, also, in the northern parts of Maine, New
Hampshire, New York, and Michigan, and in the Muskoka districts
of Ontario. Mr. Walter Faxon considers it a rare though regular
migrant to the eastern part of Massachusetts, but thinks it occurs
in numbers in winter amid the Berkshire hills.
A few examples have been taken in Connecticut and in Rhode
Island.
152 SINGING BIRDS.
BOHEMIAN WAXWING.
AMPELIS GARRULUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color cinnamon brown or fawn color, darker on
front head and cheeks, changing to ashy on rump; chin and line across
forehead and through the eyes, rich black; wings and tail slaty; tail
tipped with yellow; primaries tipped with white, secondaries with appen-
dages like red sealing-wax. Head with long pointed crest. Length 7%
to 834 inches. Easily distinguished from the Cedar Bird by its larger size
and darker color.
Nest. In a tree, a bulky structure of twigs and roots, lined with
feathers.
£ggs. 3-5; bluish white spotted with lilac and brown; 1.00 X 0.70.
The Waxwing, of which stragglers are occasionally seen in
Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, Long Island, and the vicinity of
Philadelphia, first observed in America in the vicinity. of the
Athabasca River, near the region of the Rocky Mountains, in
the month of March, is of common occurrence as a passenger
throughout the colder regions of the whole northern hemi-
sphere. Like our Cedar Birds, they associate in numerous
flocks, pairing only for the breeding season; after which the
young and old give way to their gregarious habits, and collec-
ting in numerous companies, they perform extensive journeys,
and are extremely remarkable for their great and irregular
wanderings. The circumstances of incubation in this species
are wholly unknown. It is supposed that they retire to the
remote regions to breed ; yet in Norway they are only birds of
passage, and it has been conjectured that they pass the sum-
mer in the elevated table-land of Central Asia. Wherever they
dwell at this season, it is certain that in spring and late autumn
they visit northern Asia or Siberia and eastern Europe in vast
numbers, but are elsewhere only uncertain stragglers, whose ap-
‘pearance, at different times, has been looked upon as ominous
of some disaster by the credulous and ignorant.
‘The Waxen Chatterers, like our common Cedar Birds, ap-
pear destitute of song, and only lisp to each other their usual
low, reiterated call of 2é z¢ ve, which becomes more audible
BOHEMIAN WAXWING. 153
when they are disturbed and as they take to wing. They are
also very sociable and affectionate to their whole fraternity,
and sit in rows often on the same branch, when not employed
in collecting their food, which is said to consist of juicy fruits
of various kinds, particularly grapes; they will also eat juniper
and laurel berries, as well as apples, currants, and figs, and are
often seen to drink.
Dr. Richardson informs us that this bird appears in flocks at
Great Bear Lake about the 24th of May, when they feed on
the berries of the alpine arbutus, marsh vaccinium, and other
kinds exposed again to the surface after the spring thaw.
Another flock of three or four hundred individuals was seen on
the banks of the Saskatchewan, at Carlton House, early in the
same month. In their usual manner they all settled together
on one or two trees, and remained together about the same
place for an hour in the morning, making a loud twittering
noise, and were too shy to be approached within gunshot.
Their stay at most did not exceed a few days, and none of the
Indians knew of their nests; though the doctor had reason to
believe that they retired in the breeding season to the broken
and desolate mountain-limestone districts in the 67th or 68th
parallels, where they find means to feed on the fruit of the
common juniper, so abundant in that quarter. Neither Mr.
Townsend nor myself observed this bird either in the Columbia
River district or on the Rocky Mountains.
The Bohemian is still a rover of uncertain and irregular habits,
occasionally in winter appearing along the northern border of the
United States and through the settled portions of Canada in Jarge
flocks, but sometimes absent for several seasons. The statement
has been made that there is no record of its occurrence in New
England within the past fifteen years. Colonel Goss found a nest
in Labrador, and several have been taken in the Northwest.
154 SINGING BIRDS.
CEDAR WAXWING.
CEDAR BIRD. CHERRY BIRD.
AMPELIS CEDRORUM.
CuAr. Prevailing color cinnamon brown or fawn color, changing to
ashy on rump and yellowish on the belly; chin and line across forehead
and through eyes, rich black; wings and tail slaty; tail tipped with yel-
low; secondaries sometimes with red, wax-like appendages. Head with
long, pointed crest. Length 6% to 74 inches.
LVest. Ina tree; large and loosely made of twigs and grass, lined with
grass, hair, or feathers.
Zggs. 3-5; bluish white spotted with lilac and brown; 0.85 X 0.60.
This common native wanderer, which in summer extends its
migrations to the remotest unpeopled regions of Canada, is
also found throughout the American continent to Mexico, and
parties even roam to the tropical forests of Cayenne. In all this
extensive geographical range, where great elevation or latitude
tempers the climate so as to be favorable to the production
of juicy fruits, the Cedar Bird will probably be found either
almost wholly to reside, or to pass the season of reproduction.
Like its European representative (the Waxen Chatterer), it is
capable of braving a considerable degree of cold; for in Penn-
sylvania and New Jersey some of these birds are seen through-
out the winter, where, as well as in the early part of the
summer and fall, they are killed and brought to market, gen-
erally fat, and much esteemed as food. Silky softness of
plumage, gentleness of disposition, innocence of character,
extreme sociability, and an innate, inextinguishable love of
freedom, accompanied by a constant desire of wandering, are
characteristic traits in the physical and moral portrait of the
second as well as the preceding species of this peculiar and
extraordinary genus.
Leaving the northern part of the continent, situated beyond
the goth degree, at the approach of winter, they assemble
in companies of twenty to a hundred, and wander through the
Southern States and Mexico to the confines of the equator, in
CEDAR WAXWING., 155
all of which countries they are now either common or abun-
dant. As observed by Audubon, their flight is easy, continued,
and often performed at a considerable height ; and they move
in flocks or companies, making several turns before they alight.
As the mildness of spring returns, and with it their favorite
food, they reappear in the Northern and Eastern States about
the beginning of April, before the ripening of their favorite
fruits, the cherries and mulberries. But at this season, to re-
pay the gardener for the tithe of his crop, their natural due,
they fail not to assist in ridding his trees of more deadly ene-
mies which infest them, and the small caterpillars, beetles, and
various insects now constitute their only food; and for hours
at a time they may be seen feeding on the all-despoiling canker-
worms which infest our apple-trees and elms. On these oc-
casions, silent and sedate, after plentifully feeding, they sit
dressing their feathers in near contact on the same branch to
the number of 5 or 6; and as the season of selective attach-
ment approaches, they may be observed pluming each other,
and caressing with the most gentle fondness, —a playfulness in
which, however, they are even surpassed by the contemned
Raven, to which social and friendly family our Cedar Bird,
different as he looks, has many traits of alliance. But these
demonstrations of attachment, which in a more vigorous kind
would kindle the feud of jealousy, apparently produce in this
bird scarcely any diminution of the general social tie; and as
they are gregarious to so late a period of the inviting season of
incubation, this affection has been supposed to be independent
of sexual distinction. This friendly trait is carried so far that
an eye-witness assures me he has seen one among a row of
these birds seated upon a branch dart after an insect, and offer
it to his associate when caught, who very disinterestedly passed
it to the next, and each delicately declining the offer, the morsel
has proceeded backwards and forwards before it was appro-
priated. Whatever may be the fact, as it regards this peculiar
sociability, it frequently facilitates the means of their destruc-
tion with the thoughtless and rapacious sportsman, who, be-
cause many of these unfortunate birds can be killed in an
156 SINGING BIRDS.
instant, sitting in the same range, thinks the exercise of the gun
must be credited only by the havoc which it produces against
a friendly, useful, and innocent visitor.
Towards the close of May or beginning of June the Cherry
Birds, now paired, commence forming the cradle of their young ;
yet still so sociable are they that several nests may be observed
in the same vicinity. The materials and trees chosen for their
labors are various, as well as the general markings of their eggs.
Two nests, in the Botanic Garden at Cambridge, were formed
in small hemlock-trees, at the distance of 16 or 18 feet from
the ground, in the forks of the main branches. One of these
was composed of dry, coarse grass, interwoven roughly with a
considerable quantity of dead hemlock sprigs, further con-
nected by a small quantity of silk-weed lint, and lined with
a few strips of thin grape-vine bark, and dry leaves of the
silver fir. In the second nest the lining was merely fine root-
fibres. On the 4th of June this nest contained 2 eggs, — the
whole number is generally about 4 or 5 ; these are of the usual
form (not remarkable for any disproportion of the two ends), of
a pale clay white, inclining to olive, with a few well-defined
black or deep umber spots at the great end, and with others
seen, as it were, beneath the surface of the shell. Two or
three other nests were made in the apple-trees of an adjoining
orchard, one in a place of difficult access, the other on a de-
pending branch easily reached by the hand. These were
securely fixed horizontally among the ascending twigs, and were
formed externally of a mass of dry, wiry weeds, the materials
being firmly held together by a large quantity of cudweed
down, in some places softened with glutinous saliva so as to
be formed into coarse, connecting shreds. The round edge of
the nest was made of coils of the wiry stolons of a common
Cinquefoil then lined with exceedingly fine root-fibres; over
the whole, to give elasticity, were laid fine stalks of a slender
juncus, or minute rush. In these nests the eggs were, as de-
scribed by Wilson (except as to form), marked with smaller
and more numerous spots than the preceding. From the late-
ness of the autumn, at which period incubation is still going
CEDAR WAXWING. 1s7
on, it would appear that this species is very prolific, and must
have at least two hatches in the season; for as late as the 7th
of September a brood, in this vicinity, were yet in the nest.
The period of sitting is about 15 or 16 days; and while the
young are still helpless, it is surprising to witness the silence of
the parents, uttering no cries, nor making any approaches to
those who may endanger or jeopard the safety of their brood ;
still, they are flying round, and silently watching the dreaded
result, and approach the nest the moment the intruder disap-
pears. They feed the young, at first, with insects and smooth
caterpillars ; but at the end of the 3d or 4th day they are fed,
like the old ones, aimost exclusively on sweet and juicy fruits,
such as whortle and service berries, wild and cultivated cher-
ries, etc. A young bird from one of the nests described, in the
hemlock, was thrown upon my protection, having been by
some means ejected from his cradle. In this critical situation,
however, he had been well fed, or rather gorged, with berries,
and was merely scratched by the fall he had received. Fed on
cherries and mulberries, he was soon well fledged, while his
mate in the nest was suffered to perish by the forgetfulness of
his natural protectors. Coeval with the growth of his wing-
feathers were already seen the remarkable red waxen append-
ages, showing that their appearance indicates no particular age
or sex; many birds, in fact, being without these ornaments
during their whole lives. I soon found my interesting protégé
impatient of the cage and extremely voracious, gorging him-
self to the very mouth with the soft fruits on which he was
often fed. The throat, in fact, like a craw, admits of distention,
and the contents are only gradually passed off into the stomach.
I now suffered the bird to fly at large, and for several days he
descended from the trees, in which he perched, to my arm for
food ; but the moment he was satisfied, he avoided the cage,
and appeared unable to survive the loss of liberty. He now
came seldomer to me, and finally joined the lisping muster-cry
of te te #é, and was enticed away by more attractive associates.
When young, nature provided him with a loud, impatient voice,
and #-did, té-did, kat-tédid (often also the clamorous cry of
158 SINGING BIRDS.
the young Baltimore), was his deafening and almost incessant
call for food. Another young bird of the first brood, probably
neglected, cried so loud and plaintively to a male Baltimore
Bird in the same tree that he commenced feeding it. Mr.
Winship, of Brighton, informs me that one of the young Cedar
Birds, who frequented the front of his house in quest of honey-
suckle berries, at length, on receiving food (probably also
abandoned by his roving parents), threw himself wholly on his
protection. At large day and night, he still regularly attended
the dessert of the dinner-table for his portion of fruit, and re-
mained steadfast in his attachment to Mr. W. till killed by an
accident, being unfortunately trodden under foot.
Though harmless, exceedingly gentle and artless, they make
some show of defence when attacked ; as a second bird which
I brought up, destitute of the red appendages on the wings,
when threatened elevated his crest, looked angry, and repeat-
edly snapped with his bill.
Almost all kinds of sweet berries are sought for food by the
American Waxen-wing. In search of whortle-berries, they
retire in Pennsylvania to the western mountain-chains of the
Alleghany range ; and in autumn, until the approach of winter,
they are equally attached to the berries of the Virginia juniper,
as well as those of the sour-gum tree and the wax-myrtle.
They also feed late in the season on ripe persimmons, small
winter-grapes, bird-cherries, the fruit of the pride of China,
and other fruits. The kernels and seeds of these, uninjured by
the action of the stomach, are strewed about, and thus acci-
dentally planted in abundance wherever these birds frequent.
Like their prototype, the preceding species, the migrations,
and time and piace of breeding, are influenced by their supply
of food. In the spring of 1831 they arrived in this vicinity as
usual; but in consequence of the failure of cherries, scarcely
any were bred, and very few were either to be heard or seen
in the vicinity. In parts of New England this bird is known
by the name of the Canada Rodin ; and by the French Cana-
dians it is fancifully called Récolle¢, from the color of its crest
resembling that of the hood of this religious order.
NORTHERN SHRIKE.
BUTCHER BIRD.
LANIUS BOREALIS.
Cuar. Above, bluish ash, paler on rump; under parts dull white, with
fine wavy lines of brownish gray; bar on side of head black; wings and
‘ tail black tipped with white; white patch on wing; outer tail feathers
white. Length 91% to 1034 inches.
Vest. In a tree or low bush; large and roughly made of sticks and
grass, lined with leaves or feathers.
£ggs. 4-6; dull gray with green tint, spotted with lilac and brown;
1.05 X 0.75.
This little wary Northern hunter is most commonly seen in
this part of the continent at the commencement of winter, a
few remaining with us throughout that season. They extend
their wanderings, according to Audubon, as far as Natchez,
and are not uncommon in Kentucky in severe winters. In
March they retire to the North, though some take up their
summer abode in the thickest forests in Pennsylvania and New
England. The nest is said to be large and compact, in the
fork of a small tree, and sometimes in an apple-tree, composed
externally of dried grass, with whitish moss, and well lined with
feathers, The eggs are about 6, of a pale cinereous white.
160 SINGING BIRDS.
thickly marked at the greater end with spots and streaks of
rufous. The period of sitting is about 15 days. The young
appear early in June or the latter end of May.
The principal food of this species is large insects, such as
grasshoppers, crickets, and spiders. With the surplus of the
former, as well as small birds, he disposes in a very singular
manner, by impaling them upon thorns, as if thus providing
securely for a future supply of provision. In the abundance,
however, which surrounds him in the ample store-house of
Nature, he soon loses sight of this needless and sportive econ-
omy, and, like the thievish Pie and Jay, he suffers his forgotten
store to remain drying and bleaching in the elements till no
longer palatable or digestible. As this little Butcher, like his
more common European representative, preys upon birds,
these impaled grasshoppers were imagined to be lures to attract
his victims ; but his courage and rapacity render such snares
both useless and improbable, as he has been known, with the
temerity of a Falcon, to follow a bird into an open cage sooner
than lose his quarry. Mr. J. Brown, of Cambridge, informs me
that one of these birds had the boldness to attack two Canaries
in a cage, suspended one fine winter’s day at the window. The
poor songsters in their fears fluttered to the side of the cage, °
and one of them thrust his head through the bars of his prison ;
at this instant the wily Butcher tore off his head, and left the
body dead in the cage. The cause of the accident seemed
wholly mysterious, till on the following day the bold hunter
was found to have entered the room, through the open window,
with a view to despatch the remaining victim; and but for
timely interference it would have instantly shared the fate of
its companion. On another occasion, while a Mr. Lock in this
vicinity was engaged in fowling, he wounded a Robin, who
flew to a little distance and descended to the ground ; he soon
heard the disabled bird uttering unusual cries, and on approach-
ing found him in the grasp of the Shrike. He snatched up the
bird from its devourer; but having tasted blood, it still fol-
lowed, as if determined not to relinquish its proposed prey,
and only desisted from the quest on receiving a mortal wound.
NORTHERN SHRIKE. 161
The propensity for thus singularly securing its prey is also
practised on birds, which it impales in the same manner, and
afterwards tears them to pieces at leisure.
From his attempts to imitate the notes of other small birds,
in Canada and some parts of New England he is sometimes
called a Mocking Bird. His usual note, like that of the follow-
ing species, resembles the discordant creaking of a sign-board
hinge ; and my friend Mr. Brown has heard one mimicking the
quacking of his Ducks, so that they answered to him as to a
decoy fowl. They also imitate other birds, and I have been
informed that they sing pretty well themselves at times, or
rather chatter, and mimic the songs of other birds, as if with a
view to entice them into sight, for the purpose of making them
their prey. This fondness for imitation, as in the Pies, may
however be merely the result of caprice.
So complete at times is the resemblance between the
Mocking Bird (Afimus follyglottus) and this species of Lanius,
that it is difficult to distinguish them apart. I have lately
heard one (November 1oth, 1833), employed in a low and soft
warble resembling that of the Song Sparrow at the present
season, and immediately after his note changed to that of the
Catbird. Like that pre-eminent minstrel, the Orpheus, he
also mounts to the topmost spray of some lofty tree to display
his deceptive talent and mislead the small birds so as to bring
them within his reach. His attitudes are also light and airy,
and his graceful, flowing tail is kept in fantastic motion.
The parents and their brood move in company in quest of
their subsistence, and remain together the whole season. The
male boldly attacks even the Hawk or the Eagle in their de-
fence, and with such fury that they generally decline the onset.
The Butcher Bird breeds from about latitude 50° northward, mi-
grating in winter south to the Potomac and Ohio valleys.
Dr. Arthur Chadbourne, of Cambridge, reports that he has heard
a female sing, and describes her as “an unusually fine singer and
quite a mimic.”
VOL. I.'—— II
162 SINGING BIRDS.
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.
LANIUS LUDOVICIANUS.
Cuar. Above, bluish ash, generally not much paler on rump; under-
parts pure white, rarely any lines of gray; flanks tinged with gray;
forehead and side of head black ; wings and tail black tipped with white ;
white patch on wings; outer tail feathers white. Length 8% to 9%
inches.
Distinguished from dovea/is by smaller size and by the black forehead
and white under-parts.
Nest. Inatree; roughly made of twigs and grass, lined with leaves
and feathers.
Eggs. 4-6; dull gray with green tint spotted with lilac and brown;
0.95 X 0.70.
This species principally inhabits the warmer parts of the
United States, residing and breeding from North Carolina to
Florida, where I have observed it likewise in winter. It was
also seen in the table-land of Mexico by that enterprising natu-
ralist and collector, Mr. Bullock, and my friend Mr. T. Town-
send found it in the Rocky Mountain range and in the territory
of Oregon. According to Audubon it affects the low countries,
being seldom met with in the mountainous districts.
Its habits are shy and retiring, and it renders itself useful,
and claims protection by destroying mice around the planta-
tion, for which it sits and watches near the rice-stacks for
hours together, seldom failing of its prey as soon as it appears.
Like most of the genus, it is also well satisfied with large in-
sects, crickets, and grasshoppers, which like the preceding
species it often impales. In the breeding-season, according
to Dr. Bachman, it has a song which bears some resemblance
to that of the young Brown Thrush ; and though very irregular,
the notes are not unpleasing. At other times its discordant
call may almost be compared to the creaking of a sign-board
in windy weather; it probably has also the usual talent for
mimicry. The pairs mate about March, at which time the
male frequently feeds the female, and shows great courage in
defending his nest from the intrusion of other birds.. The nest
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, 163
is, according to Dr. Bachman, usually made in the outer limbs
of a tree such as the live-oak or sweet-gum, and often on a
cedar 15 to 30 feet from the ground. It is coarsely made of
dry crooked twigs, and lined with root-fibres and slender grass.
The eggs, 3 to 5, are greenish white. Incubation is per-
formed by both sexes in turn, but each bird procures its own
food in the intervals. They rear two broods in the season.
Its manners resemble those of a Hawk; it sits silent and
watchful until it espies its prey on the ground, when it pounces
upon it, and strikes first with the bill, in the manner of small
birds, seizing the object immediately after in its claws; but it
seldom attacks birds except when previously wounded.
The Loggerhead is now said to be restricted to the southern
portion of the Eastern States north to Virginia, Ohio, southern
Illinois, and the Great Lakes; and through New York to north-
ern New England and New Brunswick.
Note. — The WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE (L. ludeurcdanus excu-
bitorides) is a pale form restricted to the Western pleins. and which
in habits as in appearance differs but little from the Loggerhead.
REDSTART.
SETOPHAGA RUTICILLA.
Cuar. Male: lustrous blue-black; belly white; patch on sides of
breast, basal half of wing-quills and of tail, orange red. Female: the
black of the male replaced by olive brown, the red replaced by dull
yellow. Young males like female, but gradually changing to full plumage.
Bill and feet black. Length 5 to 5% inches.
West. An exceedingly graceful and compact structure saddled ona
branch, or supported by forked twigs of a sapling, from 5 to 20 feet from
the ground. It is composed of a variety of materials, in this region
most commonly of grass and vegetable fibres lined with fine grass or
horse-hair.
Eggs. 4-5; dull white, spotted chiefly around the larger end with
brown and lilac; 0.65 X 0.50.
This beautiful and curious bird takes up its summer resi-~
dence in almost every part of the North American continent,
being found in Canada, in the remote interior near Red River
in the latitude of 49 degrees, throughout Louisiana, Arkansas,
and the maritime parts of Mexico; in all of which vast coun-
tries it familiarly breeds and resides during the mild season,
withdrawing early in September to tropical America, where, in
the perpetual spring and summer of the larger West India
islands, the species again find means of support. At length,
instigated by more powerful feelings than those of ordinary
want, the male, now clad in his beautiful nuptial livery, and
accompanied by his mate, seeks anew the friendly but far
distant natal regions of his race. In no haste, the playful
REDSTART. 165
Redstart does not appear in Pennsylvania until late in April.
The month of May, about the close of the first week, ushers
his arrival into the States of New England; but in Louisiana
he is seen as early as the beginning of March. He is no pen-
sioner upon the bounty of man. ‘Though sometimes seen, on
his first arrival, in the darkest part of the orchard or garden,
or by the meandering brook, he seeks to elude observation,
and now, the great object of his migrations having arrived, he
retires with his mate to the thickest of the sylvan shade. Like
his relative Sylvias, he is full of life and in perpetual motion.
He does not, like the loitering Pewee, wait the accidental ap-
proach of his insect prey, but carrying the war amongst them,
he is seen flitting from bough to bough, or at times pursuing
the flying troop of winged insects from the top of the tallest
tree in a zig-zag, hawk-like, descending flight, to the ground,
while the clicking of the bill declares distinctly both his object
and success. Then alighting on some adjoining branch, in-
tently watching with his head extended, he runs along upon it
for an instant or two, flirting like a fan his expanded, brilliant
tail from side to side, and again suddenly shoots off like an
arrow in a new direction, after the fresh game he has discov-
ered in the distance, and for which he appeared to be recon-
noitring. At first the males are seen engaged in active strife,
pursuing each other in wide circles through the forest. The
female seeks out her prey with less action and flirting, and in
her manners resembles the ordinary Sylvias.
The notes of the male, though not possessed of great com-
pass, are highly musical, and at times sweet and agreeably
varied like those of the Warblers. Many of these tones, as they
are mere trills of harmony, cannot be recalled by any words.
Their song on their first arrival is however nearly uniform, and
greatly resembles the ’¢sh ’tsh tsh tshee, tshé, tshe, tshe tshea, or’ tsh
‘tsh "tsh 'tshitshee of the summer Yellow Bird (Sylvia estiva),
uttered in a piercing and rather slender tone; now and then
also agreeably varied with a somewhat plaintive flowing ’shé
thé tshé, or a more agreeable ’¢shit ’tshit a ’tshee, given almost
in the tones of the common Yellow Bird (Pvingilla tristis). I
166 SINGING BIRDS.
have likewise heard individuals warble out a variety of sweet
and tender, trilling, rather loud and shrill notes, so superior to
the ordinary lay of incubation that the performer would
scarcely be supposed the same bird. On some occasions the
male also, when angry or alarmed, utters a loud and snapping
chirp.
The nest of this elegant Sylvan Flycatcher is very neat and
substantial, fixed occasionally near the forks of a slender
hickory or beech sapling, but more generally fastened or agglu-
tinated to the depending branches or twigs of the former;
sometimes securely seated amidst the stout footstalks of the
waving foliage in the more usual manner of the delicate cradle
of the Indian Tailor Bird, but in the deep and cool shade of the
forest, instead of the blooming bower. Both parents, but par-
ticularly the male, exhibit great concern for the safety of their
nest, whether containing eggs only or young, and on its being
approached, the male will flit about within a few feet of the
invader, regardless of his personal safety, and exhibiting unequi-
vocal marks of distress. The parents also, in their solicitude
and fear, keep up an incessant ’4siz~ when their infant brood
are even distantly approached.
Nuttall classed the Redstart with the Flycatchers, as some of
its habits —such as darting from a perch, and capturing insects
while on the wing — are typical of that family; but the more mod-
ern systematists class it with the Wood Warblers. It is an abun-
dant summer resident of this eastern province, breeding from
about the valley of the Potomac to southern Labrador.
HOODED WARBLER. 167
HOODED WARBLER.
SYLVANIA MITRATA.
CuHar. Male: above, yellow olive ; beneath, rich yellow; sides shaded
with pale olive; head and neck black, enclosing a wide band of yellow
across forehead and through eyes; tail with patch of white on two or
three outer tail-feathers. Bill black, feet flesh-color. Female: similar to
male, but sometimes lacking the black, in which specimens the crown is
olive and the throat yellow.
Vest. In a low bush; made of leaves and vegetable fibre, lined with
grass or horse-hair.
£ggs. 4-5; creamy white, spotted chiefly around the larger end with
brown and lilac; 0.70 x 0.53.
This beautiful and singularly marked summer species, com-
mon in the South, is rarely seen to the north of the State
of Maryland. It retires to Mexico or the West Indies proba-
bly to pass the winter. At Savannah, in Georgia, it arrives
from the South about the zoth of March, according to Wilson.
It is partial to low and shady situations darkened with under-
wood, is frequent among the cane-brakes of Tennessee and
Mississippi, and is exceedingly active, and almost perpetually
engaged in the pursuit of winged insects. While thus em-
ployed, it now and then utters three loud, and not unmusical,
very lively notes, resembling the words, twee twee ’twittshe.
In its simple song and general habits it therefore much resem-
bles the summer Yellow Bird. Its neat and compact nest
is generally fixed in the fork of a small bush, formed outwardly
of moss and flax, lined with hair, and sometimes feathers; the
eggs, about 5, are grayish white, with reddish spots towards
the great end.
The Hooded Warbler is a Southern species, but is a regular
sumimer resident of the Connecticut valley, and has been found
breeding near Cleveland, Ohio, and in southern Michigan. It
is said to be more abundant in South Carolina than elsewhere.
168 SINGING BIRDS.
WILSON’S WARBLER.
WILSON’S BLACK CAP.
SYLVANIA PUSILLA.
CuHar. Above, olive; crown black; forehead, cheeks, and entire
under parts yellow. Female and young duller, and black cap often
obscure, sometimes lacking. Length, 4% to 5 inches.
Nest. On the ground, in a bushy swamp, or on branch of low bush ;
of twigs and vegetable fibre lined with moss or fine grass.
Eggs. 4-6; white spotted with brown and lavender; 0.60 X 0.50.
This remarkable species of sylvan Flycatcher was first ob-
served by Wilson in New Jersey and Delaware as a transitory
bird of passage. Audubon has noticed it in Labrador and
Newfoundland, where it was breeding, and it is not uncommon
in the State of Maine. He also saw it in his way to Texas
early in April. It begins to migrate from Newfoundland about
the middle of August, and is seen in Maine in October. Mr.
Townsend and myself had the pleasure of observing the arrival
of the little cheerful songsters in the wilds of Oregon about the
first week of May, where these birds commonly take up their
summer residence, and seem almost the counterpart of our
brilliant and cheerful Yellow Birds (Syvia estva), tuning
their lay to the same brief and lively ditty, like ’sh ‘ssh 'tsh
tshea, or something similar ; their call, however, is more brief
WILSON’S WARBLER. 169
and less loud. They were rather familiar and unsuspicious, kept
in bushes more than trees, particularly in the thickets which
bordered the Columbia, busily engaged collecting their insect
fare, and only varying their employment by an occasional and
earnest warble. By the rath of May they were already feed-
ing their full-fledged young, though I also found a nest on the
16th of the same month, containing 4 eggs, and just commen-
cing incubation. The nest was in the branch of a small service
bush, laid very adroitly as to concealment upon an accidental
mass of old moss (Uswea) that had fallen from a tree above.
It was made chiefly of ground moss (Aygnum), with a thick
lining of dry, wiry, slender grass. The female, when ap-
proached, went off slyly, running along the ground like a
mouse. The eggs are very similar to those of the summer
Yellow Bird, sprinkled with spots of pale olive brown, inclined
to be disposed in a ring at the greater end, as observed by Mr.
Audubon in a nest which he found in Labrador made in a
dwarf fir, also made of moss and slender fir-twigs.
Wilson’s Black Cap is a regular, though not common, summer
resident of northern New England, breeding chiefly north of the
United States. It is not uncommon in the Maritime Provinces,
and fairly common as a migrant about Montreal, but is rarely seen
in Ontario, though abundant in Ohio, and reported as breeding in
Minnesota.
Note. — The SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER (Walsonia minuta
and Sylvia minuta of Wilson and Audubon) was given a place in
the “ Manual” by Nuttall, who alleged to have seen the species.
Not having been found by any of the more modern observers, it
has been omitted from many recent works. It was placed on the
“hypothetical list” by the A. O. U. committee, but has been again
brought forward by Ridgeway, in his “Manual.” Wilson stated
that he saw it in New Jersey; Audubon said he shot one in Ken-
tucky; and Nuttall’s examples were in Massachusetts. As the
birds were seen by Nuttall only “at the appzoach of winter,” it is
probable they were the young of the year of some of the more
northern breeding species.
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER.
POLIOPTILA CERULEA.
CuHar. Male: above, bluish gray, darker on head, paler on rump;
forehead and line over the eye black ; beneath, pale bluish white; wings
dusky; tail longer than the body, the outer feathers partly white. Fe-
male: similar to the male, but lacking the black on head. Length 4%
to 5 inches.
Nest. A graceful, cup-shaped structure, saddled on limb of a tree 15
or 20 feet from the ground; composed of felted plant fibre ornamented
externally with lichens and lined with feathers.
£ggs. 3-5; bluish white, speckled with bright brown; 0.55 X 0.45.
But for the length of the tail, this would rank among the
most diminutive of birds. It is a very dexterous, lively insect-
hunter, and keeps commonly in the tops of tall trees; its
motions are rapid and incessant, appearing always in quest of
its prey, darting from bough to bough with hanging wings and
elevated tail, uttering only at times a feeble song of see tee tee,
scarcely louder than the squeak of a mouse. It arrives in the
State of Pennsylvania from the South about the middle of April,
and seldom passes to the north of the States of New York and
Ohio, though others, following the course of the large rivers, pen-
etrate into Kentucky, Indiana, and Arkansas. Its first visits
are paid to the blooming willows along the borders of water-
courses, and besides other small insects it now preys on the
troublesome mosquitoes. About the beginning of May it forms
its nest, which is usually fixed among twigs, at the height of 10,
or sometimes even 50, feet from the ground, near the summit
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 171
of a forest tree. It is formed of slight materials, such as the
scales of buds, stems and parts of fallen leaves, withered blos-
soms, fern down, and the silky fibres of various plants, lined
with a few horsehairs, and coated externally with lichens. In
this frail nest the Cow Troopial sometimes deposits her egg, and
leaves her offspring to the care of these affectionate and pigmy
nurses. In this case, as with the Cuckoo in the nest of the
Yellow Wren and that of the Red-tailed Warbler, the egg is
probably conveyed by the parent, and placed in this small and
slender cradle, which would not be able to sustain the weight
or receive the body of the intruder.
Though classed with the Flycatchers by Nuttall and other writers
of his day, this species is now ranked as one of the highest types of
the Oscines, or Singing Birds, and a sub-family has been made for
this and the two Western forms. Mr. William Saunders finds the
present species fairly common near London, Ontario, but it is only
casual in New England, and is rarely seen north of latitude 42°.
It winters in the Gulf States and southward.
Mr. Chapman tells us that this bird has “an exquisitely finished
song,” but the voice is “ possessed of so little volume as to be in-
audible unless one is quite near the singer.”
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.
ICTERIA VIRENS.
CuHar. Above, olive; lores black; throat and breast rich yellow;
belly white. Length 7 to 8 inches.
Vest. Ina thicket 2 or 3 feet from the ground ; of dried leaves, strips
of bark, or grass lined with fine grass or fibres.
Eggs. 3-4; white, with pink tint, spotted with brown and lilac; 0.90
X 0.70.
This remarkable bird is another summer resident of the
United States which passes the winter in tropical America,
being found in Guiana and Brazil, so that its migrations prob-
ably extend indifferently into the milder regions of both
hemispheres. Even the birds essentially tropical are still
known to migrate to different distances on either side the
equator, so essential and necessary is this wandering habit to
almost all the feathered race.
The Icteria arrives in Pennsylvania about the first week in
May, and does not usually appear to proceed farther north and
east than the States of New York or Connecticut. To the
west it is found in Kentucky, and ascends the Ohio to the
borders of Lake Erie. In the distant interior, however, near
the Rocky Mountains, towards the sources of the Arkansas,
this bird was observed by Mr. Say, and Mr. Townsend saw it
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 173
at Walla-Walla, on the Columbia, breeding in the month of
June. It retires to the south about the middle of August, or
as soon as the only brood it raises are fitted to undertake their
distant journey.
The males, as in many other migrating birds, who are not
continually paired, arrive several days before the females. As
soon as our bird has chosen his retreat, which is commonly in
some thorny or viny thicket where he can obtain concealment,
he becomes jealous of his assumed rights and resents the least
intrusion, scolding all who approach in a variety of odd and
uncouth tones very difficult to describe or imitate, except by
a whistling, in which case the bird may be made to approach,
but seldom within sight. His responses on such occasions are
constant and rapid, expressive of anger and anxiety; and still
unseen, his voice shifts from place to place amidst the thicket.
Some of these notes resemble the whistling of the wings of a
flying duck, at first loud and rapid, then sinking till they seem
to end in single notes. A succession of other tones are now
heard, some like the barking of young puppies, with a variety
of hollow, guttural, uncommon sounds frequently repeated,
and terminated occasionally by something like the mewing of
a cat, but hoarser, —a tone to which all our Vireos, particularly
the young, have frequent recurrence. All these notes are
uttered with vehemence, and with such strange and various
modulations as to appear near or distant, like the manceuvres
of ventriloquism. In mild weather also, when the moon
shines, this exuberant gabbling is heard nearly throughout the
night, as if the performer was disputing with the echoes of his
own voice.
Soon after their arrival, or about the middle of May, the
Icterias begin to build, fixing the nest commonly in a bramble-
bush, in an interlaced thicket, a vine, or small cedar, 4 or 5
feet from the ground. The young are hatched in the short
period of 12 days, and leave the nest about the second week
in June. While the female is sitting, the cries of the male are
still more loud and incessant. He now braves concealment,
and at times mounts into the air almost perpendicularly 30
174 SINGING BIRDS.
or 40 feet, with his legs hanging down, and descending as he
rose, by repeated jerks, he seems to be in a paroxysm of fear
and anger. The usual mode of flying is not, however, different
from that of other birds.
The food of the Icteria consists of beetles and other shelly
insects; and as the summer advances, they feed on various
kinds of berries, like the Flycatchers, and seem particularly
fond of whortleberries. They are frequent through the Middle
States, in hedges, thickets, and near rivulets and watery
situations.
This Chat is now found regularly in Connecticut and northern
Ohio, and sparingly in Massachusetts. A few examples have been
taken in New Hampshire and southern Ontario.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO.
VIREO FLAVIFRONS.
Cuar. Above, rich olive, shading to ashy gray on the rump} line
across the forehead and around the eyes yellow; throat and breast rich
yellow; belly white, sides shaded with pale olive; wings dusky with two
white bars; tail dusky, the feathers edged with white. Length 5 to6
inches.
Nest. In woods or orchard; suspended from fork of branch 5 to 30
feet from the ground (usually about ro feet); a graceful and compact
structure of grass and strips of bark covered with lichens and lined with
grass or pine needles.
Eggs. 3-5; white with roseate tint, thickly spotted around the large
end with shades of brown; 0.80 X 0.60.
This species of Vireo, or Warbling Flycatcher, visits the
Middle and Northern States of the Union about the beginning
of May or as soon as his insect food allows him a means of
subsistence. He resides chiefly in the forests, where he hunts
his tiny prey among the high branches; and as he shifts from
twig to twig in restless pursuit, he often relieves his toil with a
somewhat sad and indolent note, which he repeats, with some
variation, at short intervals. This song appears like ‘preea
‘breed, etc., and it sometimes finishes with a complaining call
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO. 175
of recognition, "prréaigh ‘prréaigh. ‘These syllables rise and
fall in different tones as they are repeated, but though usually
sweet and impressive, are delivered too slow and solemn to be
generally pleasing. In other respects they considerably resem-
ble the song of the Red-Eyed Warbling Flycatcher, in whose
company it is often heard, blending its deep but languid
warble with the loud, energetic notes of the latter; and their
united music, uttered during summer, even at noonday, is
rendered peculiarly agreeable, as nearly all the songsters of
the grove are now seeking a silent shelter from the sultry heat.
In the warmest weather the lay of this bird is indeed peculiarly
strong and lively ; and his usually long-drawn, almost plaintive
notes, are now delivered in fine succession, with a peculiar
echoing and impressive musical cadence, appearing like a
romantic and tender revery of delight. The song, now almost
incessant, heard from this roving sylvan minstrel is varied in
bars nearly as follows: pred pred preot, preait preoit prriweet
preeal, pewal praiou, preeai preed praoit, preco preawit preeoo.
When irritated, he utters a very loud and hoarse mewing
praigh praigh. As soon, however, as the warm weather begins
to decline, and the business of incubation is finished, about
the beginning of August, this sad and slow but interesting
musician nearly ceases his song, a few feeble farewell notes
only being heard to the first week in September.
This species, like the rest of the genus, constructs a very
beautiful pendulous nest about 3 inches deep and 234 in
diameter. One, which I now more particularly describe, is
suspended from the forked twig of an oak in the near neigh-
borhood of a dwelling-house in the country. It is attached
firmly all round the curving twigs by which it is supported ;
the stoutest external materials or skeleton of the fabric is
formed of interlaced folds of thin strips of red cedar bark,
connected very intimately by coarse threads and small masses
of the silk of spiders’ nests and of the cocoons of large moths.
These threads are moistened by the glutinous saliva of the
bird. Among these external materials are also blended fine
blades of dry grass. The inside is thickly bedded with this’
176 SINGING BIRDS.
last material and fine root-fibres; but the finishing layer, as if
to preserve elasticity, is of rather coarse grass-stalks. Exter-
nally the nest is coated over with green lichen, attached very
artfully by slender strings of caterpillars’ silk, and the whole
afterwards tied over by almost invisible threads of the same, so
as to appear as if glued on; and the entire fabric now resem-
bles an accidental knot of the tree grown over with moss.
The food of this species during the summer is insects, but
towards autumn they and their young feed aiso on various
small berries. About the middle of September the whole move
off and leave the United States, probably to winter in tropical
America.
Nuttall followed the older authors in naming the forest as the
favorite haunt of this species. Later observers consider that it
frequents orchards and fields quite as much as the woods, and it is
reported as common in the gardens near Boston.
It occurs in southern New England and the Middle States as
far west as Iowa, and in Manitoba, where it is common. It has
not been found in the Maritime Provinces, but is common near
Montreal and in Ontario.
BLUE-HEADED VIREO.
SOLITARY VIREO.
VIREO SOLITARIUS.
CuHar. Above, bright olive; line from nostril to and around the eyes
whitish ; crown and sides of head bluish ash; beneath, white, sides and
flanks shaded with olive and yellow; wings dusky with two bars of
yellowish white ; tail dusky, feathers edged with white. Length 5 to 6
inches.
Nest. Suspended from fork of branch of low tree or bush; composed
of grass or vegetable fibre, ornamented with moss or lichens, lined with
grass and plant down.
Eggs. Creamy white, spotted, in wreath around larger end, with bright
brown; 0.80 X 0.50.
This is one of the rarest species of the genus, and from
Georgia to Pennsylvania seems only as a straggler or acci-
dental visitor.
BLUE-HEADED VIREO. 177
It possesses all the unsuspicious habits of the genus, allow-
ing a near approach without alarm. It seldom rises beyond
the tops of the canes or low bushes amidst which it is com-
monly seen hopping in quest of its subsistence, which consists
of insects and berries. Its flight is generally tremulous and
agitated. According to Dr. Bachman, “it is every year be-
coming more abundant in South Carolina, where it remains
from about the middle of February to that of March, keeping
to the woods. It has a sweet and loud song of half a dozen
notes, heard at a considerable distance.”
About the beginning of May, in the oaks already almost
wholly in leaf, on the banks of the Columbia, we heard around
us the plaintive deliberate warble of this species, first noticed
by Wilson. Its song seems to be intermediate between that of
the Red-eyed and Yellow-breasted species, having the freaz,
preai, etc., of the latter, and the fine variety of the former in
its tones. It darted about in the tops of the trees, incessantly
engaged in quest of food, now and then disputing with some
rival. The nest of this bird is made much in the same manner
as that of the Vireo olivaceus. One which I examined was
suspended from the forked twig of the wild crab-tree, at about
ten feet from the ground. The chief materials were dead
and whitened grass leaves, with some cobwebs agglutinated
together, externally scattered with a few shreds of moss
(Aypnum), to resemble the branch on which it was hung;
here and there were also a few of the white paper-like cap-
sules of the spider’s nest, and it was lined with fine blades of
grass and slender root-fibres. The situation, as usual, was
open but shady.
This is a fairly common summer resident of northern New
England, and it breeds sparingly south to the Middle States, and
north to Hudson’s Bay. It is a rare bird in the Maritime Prov-
inces and in Quebec, though common in parts of Ontario.
Note. — The MOuNTAIN SOLITARY VIREO (V7. solitarius alti-
cola), lately discovered by Mr. William Brewster in western North
Carolina, is described as “nearly uniform blackish plumbeous, with
only a faint tinge of green on the back.”
VOL. 1. — 12
WHITE-EYED VIREO.
VIREO NOVEBORACENSIS.
Cuar. Above, olive, shading to ash on hind neck and rump; line
from nostril to and around eyes, yellow; beneath, white, duller on throat
and breast; sides shaded with yellow; wings and tail dusky; wing-bars
yellow ; iris white in the adult. Length about 5 inches.
Vest. Suspended from forked twig of low bush in a thicket, some-
° times on edge of swamp; composed of various materials, — grass, twigs,
etc., — ornamented with moss and lichens, and lined with grass, etc.
£ggs. 3-5; white, spotted around larger end with brown; 0.75 X 0.55.
This interesting little bird appears to be a constant resident
within the limits of the United States; as, on the 12th of Jan-
uary, I saw them in great numbers near Charleston, S. C.,
feeding on the wax-myrtle berries, in company with the Yellow-
Rumped Sylvias. At this season they were silent, but very
familiar, descending from the bushes when whistled too, and
peeping cautiously, came down close to me, looking about with
complacent curiosity, as if unconscious of any danger. In the
last week of February, Wilson already heard them singing in
the southern parts of Georgia, and throughout that month to
March, I saw them in the swampy thickets nearly every day,
so that they undoubtedly reside and pass the winter in the
maritime parts of the Southern States. The arrival of this
little unsuspicious warbler in Pennsylvania and New England
is usually about the middle of April or earlier. On the 12th
of March I first heard his voice in the low thickets of West
Florida. His ditty was now simply ss’¢ (with a whistle) wd
witte witte we-wd (the first part very quick). As late as in
the first week in May I observed a few stragglers in this vicinity
WHITE-EYED VIREO. 179
peeping through the bushes; and in the latter end of the
month a pair had taken up their abode in the thickets of
Fresh Pond, so that those which first arrive leave us and pro-
ceed farther to the north. On the 22d of June I heard the
male in full song, near his nest in our neighborhood, where in-
cubation was going on. His warble was very pleasing, though
somewhat monotonous and whimsical. This affectionate note,
often repeated near to his faithful mate while confined to
her nest, was like ’éshippewee-wa-say, tshippewee-wée-was-say,
sweetly whistled, and with a greater compass of voice and
loudness than might have been expected from the size of the
little vocalist. The song is sometimes changed two or three
times in the course of twenty minutes; and 1 have heard the
following phrases: ‘att tshippewat 'wurr, tshippewat'wurr ; at
another time, "“hipeway ’tshe 6 et 'tsherr. On another visit
the little performer had changed his song to "sip # waigh a
éshewa, with a guttural trill, as usual, at the last syllable. He
soon, however, varied his lay to ‘whip te wei wee, the last sylla-
ble but one considerably lengthened and clearly whistled. Such
were the captious variations of this little quaint and peculiarly
earnest musician, whose notes are probably almost continually
varied. On the 6th of October I still heard one of these wan-
dering little minstrels, who at intervals had for several weeks
visited the garden, probably in quest of berries. His short,
quaint, and more guttural song was now aéshée-vait (probably
the attempt of a young bird). As late as the 30th of October
the White-Eyed Vireo still lingered around Cambridge, and
on the margin of a pond, surrounded by weeds and willows, he
was actively employed in gleaning up insects and their larvee ;
and now, with a feebler tone of voice, warbled with uncommon
sweetness wholly different from his usual strain, sounding some-
thing like the sweet whisperings of the Song Sparrow at the
present season, and was perhaps an attempt at mimickry.
Occasionally, also, he blended in his harsher, scolding, or
querulous mewing call.
This species, like the rest, build commonly a pensile nest
suspended by the upper edge of the two sides on the circular
180 SINGING BIRDS.
bend, often of the smilax or green briar vine. In the Middle
States they often raise 2 broods in the season, generally make
choice of thorny thickets for their nest, and show much con-
cern when it is approached, descending within a few feet of
the intruder, looking down and hoarsely mewing and scolding
with great earnestness. This petulant display of irritability is
also continued when the brood are approached, though as large
and as active as their vigilant and vociferous parents. In the
Middle States this is a common species, but in Massachusetts
rather rare. Its food, like the rest of the Vireos, is insects
and various kinds of berries, for the tormer of which it hunts
with great agility, attention, and industry.
“ Eastern United States, west to the Rockies, south in winter to
Guatemala,” 1s usually givén as the habitat of this species. It has
been seen rarely north of southern New England, and only one
example has been taken in New Brunswick, though Mr. J. M.
Jones considers it fairly common in portions of Nova Scotia.
There is no authentic report of its occurrence in Ontario, but Mr.
Mcllwraith thinks it may yet be found there.
Note. — Mr. William Brewster has lately described the KEy
WEsT VIREO (V. noveboracensis maynard) as a larger bird than
the type and of duller color, the yellow paler.
BELL’s VIREO (Vireo belliz),a bird of much the same appearance
and habits as the White-eyed, is found in the prairie districts ot
Illinois and Iowa. It ranges thence to the eastern base of the
Rockies. .
WARBLING VIREO.
VIREO GILVUS.
Cuar. Above, grayish olive brighter on the rump, shading to ashy on
the head; beneath, buffy white, flanks and sides tinged with olive yellow.
Length 5 to 5% inches.
Vest. In open pasture or shaded street, suspended from fork of a
high branch; composed of grass and vegetable fibre, and lined with fine
grass.
£ggs. 3-4; white, spotted, chiefly about the larger end, with brown;
0.75 X 0.55.
WARBLING VIREO. 181
This sweetest and most constant warbler of the forest, ex-
tending his northern migrations to the confines of Canada and
along the coast of the Pacific to the Oregon, arrives from trop-
ical America in Pennsylvania about the middle of April, and
reaches this part of New England early in May. His livery,
like that of the Nightingale, is plain and unadorned ; but the
sweet melody of his voice, — surpassing, as far as Nature usually
surpasses art, the tenderest airs of the flute, — poured out often
from the rising dawn of day to the approach of evening, and
vigorous even during the sultry heat of noon, when most other
birds are still, gives additional interest to this little vocalist.
While chanting forth his easy, flowing, tender airs, apparently
without effort, so contrasted with the interrupted emphatical
song of the Red-Eye, he is gliding along the thick and leafy
branches of our majestic elms and tallest trees busied in quest
of his restless insect prey.. With us, as in Pennsylvania, the
species is almost wholly confined to our villages, and even
cities. It is rarely ever observed in the woods; but from the
tall trees which decorate the streets and lanes, the almost in-
visible musician, secured from the enemies of the forest, is
heard to cheer the house and cottage with his untiring song.
As late as the 2d of October I still distinguished his tuneful voice
from amidst the yellow fading leaves of the linden, near which
he had passed away the summer. The approaching dissolu-
tion of those delightful connections which had been cemented
by affection and the cheerless stillness of autumn, still called
up a feeble and plaintive revery. Some days after this late
period, warmed by the mild rays of the morning sun, I heard,
as it were, faintly warbled, a parting whisper; and ‘about the
middle of this month our vocal woods and fields were once
more left in dreary silence.
When offended or irritated, our bird utters an angry shay
*tshay, like the Catbird and the other Vireos, and sometimes
makes a loud snapping with his bill. The nest of the Warbling
Vireo is generally pendulous, and ambitiously and securely sus-
pended at great elevations. In our elms I have seen one of
these airy cradles at the very summit of one of the most gigan-
182 SINGING BIRDS.
tic, more than roo feet from the ground. At other times they
are not more than 50 to 70 feet high. The only nest I have
been able to examine was made externally of flat and dry
sedge-grass blades, for which, as I have observed, are occa-
sionally substituted strings of bass. These dry blades and
strips are confined and tied into the usual circular form by
caterpillars’ silk, blended with bits of wool, silk-weed lint, and
an accidental and sparing mixture of vernal grass tops and old
apple-blossoms. It was then very neatly lined with the small
flat blades of the meadow grass called Poa compressa.
This species is rather uncommon in the Maritime Provinces
excepting near the Maine border in New Brunswick, and in the
more southern portions of Nova Scotia. It is fairly common in
southern Quebec, and abundant in Ontario. In parts of New
England and the Middle States it is a common summer resident.
At the West it ranges north to the fur countries.
RED-EYED VIREO.
VIREO OLIVACEUS.
CuHar. Above, bright olive, crown ashy; white line over eyes; iris
ruby red ; beneath, white faintly tinged with dull olive on sides; wings
and tail dusky. Length 534 to 634 inches.
Vest. In an open pasture or along margin of field; suspended from
fork of an upper branch; composed of grass and vegetable fibre, and
lined with fine grass, etc.
Z£ggs. 3-5; white (sometimes with a faint pink tint) spotted sparingly,
around larger end, with dull brown; 0 80 X 0.55.
These common and indefatigable songsters appear to inhabit
every part of the American continent, from Labrador to the
large tropical islands of Jamaica and St. Domingo; they are
likewise resident in the mild tableland of Mexico. Those
individuals who pass the summer with us, however, migrate to
the warmer regions at the commencement of winter, as none
are found at that season within the limits of the United States.
The Red-Eyed Vireo arrives in Pennsylvania late in April, and
in New England about the beginning of May. It inhabits the
RED-EYED VIREO. 183
shady forests or tall trees near gardens and the suburbs of
villages, where its loud, lively, and energetic song is often con-
tinued, with little intermission, for several hours at a time, as
it darts and pries among the thick foliage in quest of insects
and small caterpillars. From its first arrival until August it is
the most distinguished warbler of the forest, and when almost
all the other birds have become mute, its notes are yet heard
with unabated vigor. Even to the 5th of October, still enliv-
ened by the feeble rays of the sun, the male faintly recalls his
song, and plaintively tunes a farewell to his native woods. His
summer notes are uttered in short, emphatical bars of 2 or 3
syllables, and have something in them like the simple lay of
the Thrush or American Robin when he first earnestly and
slowly commences his song. He often makes use, in fact, of
the same expressions; but his tones are more monotonous as
well as mellow and melodious, like the rest of the Vireos. In
moist and dark summer weather his voice seems to be one
continued, untiring warble of exquisite sweetness; and in the
most populous and noisy streets of Boston his shrill and tender
lay is commonly heard from the tall elms; and as the bustle of
carts and carriages attempts to drown his voice, he elevates his
pipe with more vigor and earnestness, as if determined to be
heard in spite of every discord. The call of “ Whip-Tom-
kelly,” attributed to this species by Sloane and even Wilson, I
have never heard ; and common as the species is throughout
the Union, the most lively or accidental fit of imagination
never yet in this country conceived of such an association of
sounds. I have already remarked, indeed, that this singular
call is, in fact, sometimes uttered by the Tufted Titmouse.
When our Vireo sings slow enough to be distinctly heard, the
following sweetly warbled phrases, variously transposed and
tuned, may often be caught by the attentive listener: ’¢shode
peweé peeai misik ‘du ‘dit ‘du, 'tshodve "hére ’hére, hear here,
’R ing 'ritshard,’p'shégru 'tshevit, tsheevoo 'tshitvee peeait-’péerot,
— the whole delivered almost without any sensible interval, with
eamest animation, in a pathetic, tender, and pleasing strain,
well calculated to produce calm and thoughtful reflection in
184 SINGING BIRDS.
the sensitive mind. Yet while this heavenly revery strikes on
the human ear with such peculiar effect, the humble musician
himself seems but little concerned ; for all the while, perhaps,
that this flowing chorus enchants the hearer, he is casually
hopping from spray to spray in quest of his active or crawling
prey, and if a cessation occurs in his almost untiring lay, it is
occasioned by the caterpillar or fly he has just fortunately cap-
tured. So unaffected are these delightful efforts of instinct,
and so unconscious is the performer, apparently, of this pleas-
ing faculty bestowed upon him by Nature, that he may truly be
considered as a messenger of harmony to man alone. Wan-
tonly to destroy these delightful aids to sentimental happiness
ought therefore to be viewed, not only as an act of barbarity,
but almost as a sacrilege.
The Red-Eyed Vireo is one of the most favorite of all the
adopted nurses of the Cowbird; and the remarkable gentle-
ness of its disposition and watchful affection for the safety of
its young, or of the foundling confided to its care, amply justi-
fies this selection of a foster-parent. The male, indeed, de-
fends his nest while his mate is sitting, with as much spirit as
the King Bird, driving away every intruder and complaining in
a hoarse mewing tone when approached by any inquisitive
observer. By accident the eggs were destroyed in a nest of
this species in the Botanic Garden, in a sugar-maple about 20
feet from the ground. At this time no complaints were heard,
and the male sang all day as cheerful as before. In a few
days, unwilling to leave the neighborhood, they had made a
second nest in a beech at the opposite side of the same prem-
ises; but now the male drove away every intruder with the
greatest temerity. The young of this species are often hatched
in about 13 days, or 24 hours later than the parasitic Troopial ;
but for want of room the smaller young are usually stifled or
neglected. I have, however, seen in one nest a surviving bird
of cack kind in a fair way for being reared; yet by a singular
infatuation the supposititious bird appeared by far the most
assiduously attended, and in this case the real young of the
species seemed to be treated as puny foundlings.
RED-EYED VIREO. 185
In the month of August the young fed greedily on the small
berries of the bitter cornel and astringent Vidurnum dentatum,
as well as other kinds. One of these inexperienced birds
hopped close round me in an adjoining bush, without any fear-
ful apprehension; and as late as the 26th of October two
young birds of the Red-Eye were still lingering in this vicinity,
and busily engaged in gleaning subsistence. Eager after flies,
about the 25th of August a young bird with hazel instead of
red eyes entered a chamber in the neighborhood and became
my: inmate. I clipped his wing and left him at large in a
room; he soon became very gentle, took grasshoppers and
flics out of my hand, ate Viburnum berries with a good appe-
tite, and in short seemed pleased with his quarters. A fly
could not stir but it was instantly caught; his only difficulty
was with a lame King Bird who occupied the same apartment.
The King appeared very jealous of this little harmless com-
panion ; snapped his bill at him when he approached, and be-
grudged him subsistence when he perceived that he fed on the
same food with himself. At length he would come to me for
provision and for protection from his tyrannical associate. But
the career of my interesting and lively companion was soon
terminated by death, occasioned, in all probability, by a diar-
thoea produced in consequence of swallowing a small lock of
hair with his food, which was found in his stomach. This bird,
very different from a Sy/via autumnatis which I afterwards had
in my possession, regurgitated by the bill, like the King Bird,
pellets of the indigestible parts of his food, such as the legs
and wings of grasshoppers and flies, and the skins and seeds of
berries. Unlike the King Bird in one particular, however, he
folded his head under his wing when at rest, and reposed with
great soundness ; whereas for eight months I was never able to
detect the former asleep.
The Red-eyed Vireo breeds from the Southern States to
Labrador and Manitoba, and in winter ranges from Florida to
Central America.
186 SINGING BIRDS.
PHILADELPHIA VIREO.
VIREO PHILADELPHICUS.
Cuar. Above, grayish olive, brighter on rump, shading to ashy on
crown; white line over eyes; beneath, greenish yellow, paler on throat
and belly. Length about 434 inches. :
Nest. Ina grove; suspended from forked twigs of low branch ; com-
posed of grass and birch bark.
Legs. 4—?; white, spotted with brown ;——?
This species was first described by Mr. Cassin, in 1851, from a
specimen shot by him near Philadelphia in 1842. Of the bird’s
habits we have learned but little. The only nest yet discovered
was found by Mr. Ernest E. Thompson in Manitoba in 1884.
Of the bird’s range we have still much to learn. It is a migrant
only in southern New England, but is known to spend the summer
in Maine, and has been taken at that season in New Hampshire.
In 1882 our party secured several at Edmundston, in New Bruns-
wick, near the Quebec border. Dr. Wheaton considered it a regu-
lar spring and fall migrant through Ohio, but very few have been
observed in Ontario.
The song of this species is so much like that of the Red-eye,
that they are not easily distinguished.
Norte. — Mr. Comeau has taken at Godbout, on the north shore
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, one example of the YELLOW-GREEN
ViREO (V. flavoviridis), a bird of Mexico and Central America.
MOCKINGBIRD.
MIMUS POLYGLOTTOS.
Cuar. Above, ashy gray, darker on wings and tail; wings with two
white bars; outer tail-feathers white ; beneath, white, tinged with gray on
the breast ; bill and feet black. Length g to 11 inches.
Nest. Ina thicket or bunch of low bushes; composed of twigs, roots,
grass, etc.
£ggs. 4-6; greenish blue to pale buff, marked with reddish brown;
0.95 X 0.70.
This unrivalled Orpheus of the forest and natural wonder of
America inhabits the whole continent, from the State of Rhode
Island to the larger isles of the West Indies ; and continuing
through the equatorial regions, is found in the southern hemi-
sphere as far as Brazil. Nor is it at all confined to the Eastern
or Atlantic States. It also exists in the wild territory of Ar-
kansas more than a thousand miles from the mouth of Red
River; and I have since seen it in the scanty forests of Upper
California. It breeds at the distant western sources of the
Platte, near the base of the Rocky Mountains, as well as in
Texas; and Mr. Bullock saw it in the table-land of Mexico.
The Mocking Bird rears its young, and consequently displays
its wonderful powers, in all the intermediate regions of its
residence in the United States to the peninsula of Florida. It
appears, in short, permanently to inhabit the milder regions of
188 SINGING BIRDS.
the western world in either hemisphere; and the individuals
bred north of the Delaware, on this side the equator, are all
that ever migrate from their summer residence. A still more
partial migration takes place also, probably, from west to east,
in quest of the food and shelter which the maritime districts
afford. Though now so uncommon in that vicinity, 50 or 60
years ago, according to Bartram, it even wintered near Phila-
delphia, and made a temporary abode in the mantling ivy of
his venerable mansion. In summer a few proceed as far as
Rhode Island, following the mild temperature of the sea-coast ;
but farther north these birds are, I believe, nearly unknown,
except rarely and occasionally in Massachusetts near the sea.
With the advance of the season, also, in the country which it
inhabits, varies the time of incubation. [Early in April the
nests are begun in the maritime parts of Georgia, but not before
the middle of May in Pennsylvania.
In the winter these birds chiefly subsist on berries, partic-
ularly those of the Virginia juniper (called red cedar), wax-
myrtle, holly, smilax, sumach, sour-gum, and a variety of
others, which furnish them and many other birds with a plen-
tiful repast. Insects, worms, grasshoppers, and larve are the
food on which they principally subsist when so eminently vocal
and engaged in the task of rearing their young. In the South-
ern States, where they are seldom molested, with ready saga-
city they seem to court the society of man and fearlessly hop
around the roof of the house or fly before the planter’s door.
When a dwelling is first settled in the wilderness, this bird is
not seen sometimes in the vicinity for the first year; but at
length he pays his welcome visit to the new-comer, gratified
with the little advantages he discovers around him, and seek-
ing out also the favor and fortuitous protection of human
society. He becomes henceforth familiar, and only quarrels
with the cat and dog, whose approach he instinctively dreads
near his nest, and never ceases his complaints and attacks until
they retreat from his sight.
None of the domestic animals, or man himself, but partic-
ularly the cat and dog, can approach during the period of
incubation, without receiving an attack from these affectionate
MOCKINGBIRD, 189
guardians of their brood. Their most insidious and deadly
enemies, however, are reptiles, particularly the black snake,
who spares neither the eggs nor young. As soon as his fatal
approach is discovered by the male, he darts upon him without
hesitation, eludes his bite, and striking him about the head,
and particularly the eyes, where most vulnerable, he soon suc-
ceeds in causing him to retreat, and by redoubling his blows,
in spite of all pretended fascination, the wily monster often
falls a victim to his temerity ; and the heroic bird, leaving his
enemy dead on the field he provoked, mounts on the bush
above his affectionate mate and brood, and in token of victory
celebrates with his loudest song.
The Mocking Bird, like the Nightingale, is destitute of bril-
liant plumage ; but his form is beautiful, delicate, and symmet-
rical in its proportions. His motions are easy, rapid, and
graceful, perpetually animated with a playful caprice and a
look that appears full of shrewdness and intelligence. He
listens with silent attention to each passing sound, treasures up
lessons from everything vocal, and is capable of imitating with
exactness, both in measure and accent, the notes of all the
feathered race. And however wild and discordant the tones
and calls may be, he contrives, with an Orphean talent pecu-
liarly his own, to infuse into them that sweetness of expression
and harmonious modulation which characterize this inimi-
table and wonderful composer. With the dawn of morning,
while yet the sun lingers below the blushing horizon, our sub-
lime songster, in his native wilds, mounted on the topmost
branch of a tall bush or tree in the forest, pours out his admi-
rable song, which, amidst the multitude of notes from all the
warbling host, still rises pre-eminent, so that his solo is heard
alone, and all the rest of the musical choir appear employed in
mere accompaniments to this grand actor in the sublime opera
of Nature. Nor is his talent confined to imitation ; his native
notes are also bold, full, and perpetually varied, consisting of
short expressions of a few variable syllables, interspersed with
imitations and uttered with great emphasis and volubility,
sometimes for half an hour at a time, with undiminished ardor.
These native strains bear a considerable resemblance to those
190 SINGING BIRDS.
of the Brown Thrush, to whom he is so nearly related in form,
habits, and manners; but, like rude from cultivated genius, his
notes are distinguished by the rapidity of their delivery, their
variety, sweetness, and energy. As if conscious of his unri-
valled powers of song, and animated by the harmony of his
own voice, his music is, as it were, accompanied by chromatic
dancing and expressive gestures; he spreads and closes his
light and fanning wings, expands his silvered tail, and with
buoyant gayety and enthusiastic ecstasy he sweeps around, and
mounts and descends into the air from his lofty spray as his
song swells to loudness or dies away in sinking whispers.
While thus engaged, so various is his talent that it might be
supposed a trial of skill from all the assembled birds of the
country; and so perfect are his imitations that even the
sportsman is at times deceived, and sent in quest of birds that
have no existence around him. The feathered tribes them-
selves are decoyed by the fancied call of their mates, or dive
with fear into the close thicket at the well-feigned scream of
the Hawk.
Soon reconciled to the usurping fancy of man, the Mocking
Bird often becomes familiar with his master; playfully attacks
him through the bars of his cage, or at large in a room; rest-
less and capricious, he seems to try every expedient of a lively
imagination that may conduce to his amusement. Nothing
escapes his discerning and intelligent eye or faithful ear. He
whistles perhaps for the dog, who, deceived, runs to meet.his
master; the cries of the chicken in distress bring out the
clucking mother to the protection of her brood. The barking
of the dog, the piteous wailing of the puppy, the mewing of
the cat, the action of a saw, or the creaking of a wheelbarrow,
quickly follow with exactness. He repeats a tune of consider-
able length ; imitates the warbling of the Canary, the lisping
of the Indigo Bird, and the mellow whistle of the Cardinal, in
a manner so superior to the originals that, mortified and aston-
ished, they withdraw from his presence, or listen in silence as
he continues to triumph by renewing his efforts.
In the cage also, nearly as in the woods, he is full of life and
action while engaged in song, throwing himself round with in-
MOCKINGBIRD. ‘ IQI
spiring animation, and, as it were, moving in time to the melody
of his own accents. Even the hours of night, which consign
nearly all other birds to rest and silence, like the Nightingale
he oft employs in song, serenading the houseless hunter and
silent cottager to repose, as the rising moon illumines the
darkness of the shadowy scene. His capricious fondness for
contrast and perpetual variety appears to deteriorate his pow-
ers. His imitations of the Brown Thrush are perhaps inter-
rupted by the crowing of the cock or the barking of the dog;
the plaintive warblings of the Bluebird are then blended with
the chatter of the Swallow or the cackling of the hen; amid
the simple lay of the native Robin we are surprised with the
vociferations of the Whip-poor-will; while the notes of the
garrulous Jay, Wren, and many others succeed with such an
appearance of reality that we almost imagine ourselves in the
presence of the originals, and can scarcely realize the fact that
the whole of this singular concert is the effort of a single
bird. Indeed, it is impossible to listen to these Orphean
strains, when delivered by a superior songster in his native
woods, without being deeply affected and almost riveted to
the spot by the complicated feelings of wonder and delight
in which, from the graceful and sympathetic action, as well as
enchanting voice of the performer, the eye is no less gratified
than the ear. It is, however, painful to reflect that these ex-
traordinary powers of nature, exercised with so much generous
freedom in a state of confinement, are not calculated for long
endurance, and after this most wonderful and interesting pris-
oner has survived for 6 or 7 years, blindness often terminates
his gay career; and thus shut out from the cheering light, the
solace of his lonely but active existence, he now after a time
droops in silent sadness and dies.
The Mockingbird is a rare but regular summer visitor to Rhode
Island, Connecticut, and southern Massachusetts, and examples
have been taken in Maine. Mr. Mcllwraith reports that a pair
spent the summer of 1883 near Hamilton, Ontario, and C. A.
McLennan records in the O. & O. the capture of one near Truro,
N.S. The species is chiefly restricted to the Southern States.
BROWN THRASHER.
BROWN THRUSH.
HaRPORHYNCHUS RUFUS.
Cuar. Above, bright reddish brown or rufous; beneath, white, tinged
with rufous or buff; breast and side spotted with brown; bill about as
long as the head. Length 10/4 to 12 inches.
Nest. Ina thicket or low bush, and sometimes on the ground; bulky,
and loosely constructed of twigs, roots, and dried grass, sometimes lined
with horse-hair or feathers.
£ges. 3-6 (usually 4); dull white with buff or green tint, marked with
minute spots of reddish brown; 1.00 X 0.80.
This large and well-known songster, inferior to none but the
Mocking Bird in musical talent, is found in every part of this
continent, from Hudson’s Bay to the shores of the Mexican
Gulf, breeding in all the intermediate space, though more
abundantly towards the North. It retires to the South early in
October, in the States north of the Carolinas, and probably ex-
tends its migrations at this season through the warmer regions
towards the borders of the tropics.
From the 15th of April to early in May these birds begin to
revisit the Middle and Northern States, keeping pace in some
measure with the progress of vegetation and the comparative
BROWN THRASHER. 193
advancement of the season. They appear always to come in
pairs, so that their mutual attachment is probably more durable
than the season of incubation. Stationed on the top of some
tall orchard or forest tree, the male, gay and animated, salutes
the morn of his arrival with his loud and charming song. His
voice, somewhat resembling that of the Thrush of Europe, but
far more varied and powerful, rises pre-eminent amidst all the
vocal choir of the forest. His music has the full charm of in-
nate originality; he takes no delight in mimickry, and has
therefore no title to the name of Mocking Bird. On his first
appearance he falters in his song, like the Nightingale; but
when his mate commences her cares and labors, his notes
attain all their vigor and variety. The young birds, even of
the first season, in a state of solitary domestication, without the
aid of the parent’s voice, already whisper forth in harmonious
revery the pathetic and sweet warble instinctive to the species.
In the month of May, while the blooming orchards perfume
and decorate the landscape, the enchanting voice of the
Thrasher in his affectionate lay seems to give grateful utter-
ance for the bounty and teeming profusion of Nature, and
falls in pleasing unison with the harmony and beauty of the
season.
From the beginning to the middle of May the Thrashers are
engaged in building their nest, selecting for this purpose usu-
ally a low, thick bush, in some retired thicket or swamp a few
feet from the earth, and sometimes even on the ground in
some sheltered tussuck, or near the root of a bush. They dis-
play the most ardent affection for their young, attacking
snakes, dogs, and cats in their defence. One of the parents,
usually the male, seems almost continually occupied in guard-
ing against any dangerous intruder. The cat is attacked com-
monly at a considerable distance from the young, and the
woods echo with his plaintive yé-ow, yé-ow, and the low,
guttural, angry ’tsh ’¢sh ’tsh ’¢tsh. The enemy is thus pursued
off the field, commonly with success, as guilty grimalkin ap-
pears to understand the threatening gestures and complaints
with which she is so incessantly assailed. ‘Towards their more
VOL. I. — 13
194 SINGING BIRDS.
insidious enemies of the human species, when approaching the
helpless or unfledged young, every art is displayed; threats,
entreaties, and reproaches the most pathetic and powerful, are
tried in no equivocal strain; they dart at the ravisher in wild
despair, and lament, in the most touching strains of sorrow, the
bereavement they suffer. I know of nothing equal to the burst
of grief manifested by these affectionate parents excepting the
afflicting accents of suffering humanity.
Their food consists of worms and insects generally; also
caterpillars, beetles, and other coleopterous tribes, as well as
various kinds of berries. In the month of January I observed
this Thrush and the Mocking Bird feed on the berries of the
sumach. Sometimes they raise up a few grains of planted
corn, but this is more the effect of caprice than appetite, as
the search for grubworms is what commonly induces this
resort to scratching up the soil. The Thrasher is an active,
watchful, shy, and vigorous species, generally flying low, dwel-
ling among thickets, and skipping from bush to bush with his
long tail sometimes spread out like a fan. About the first week
in October, after moulting, they disappear for the season and
pass the winter in the Southern States. By the middle of
February, or early in March, they already display their vocal
powers in the warmer parts of Georgia and West Florida.
They are easily reared, and become very familiar and amusing
companions, showing a strong attachment to the hand that
feeds and protects them. In their manners, intelligence, song,
and sagacity, they nearly approach to the Mocking Bird, being
equally playful, capricious, petulant, and affectionate.
The Thrasher is abundant in Massachusetts, and is found in Ver-
mont and New Hampshire, but near the Atlantic seaboard does
not go farther north than southern Maine. It occurs regularly in
the vicinity of Montreal, and is common in Ontario and Manitoba.
It winters from about 37° southward.
CATBIRD. 195
CATBIRD.
GALEOSCOPTES CAROLINENSIS,
Cuar. General color dark slate, paler beneath; top of head and tail
black ; under tail-coverts chestnut. Length 8 to 9 inches.
West. In thicket or orchard ; bulky, and rudely constructed of twigs,
leaves, and grass, lined with grass or fine roots.
£ggs. 4-6; deep bluish green; 0.95 X 0.70.
This quaint and familiar songster passes the winter in the
southern extremities of the United States and along the coast
of Mexico, whence as early as February it arrives in Geor-
gia. About the middle of April it is first seen in Penn-
sylvania, and at length leisurely approaches this part of New
England by the close of the first or beginning of the second
week in May. ‘These birds continue their migration also to
Canada, where they proceed into the fur-countries as far as
the 45th parallel, arriving on the banks of the Saskatchewan
about the close of May. Throughout this extent and to the
territory of the Mississippi they likewise pass the period of in-
cubation and rearing their young. They remain in New Eng-
land till about the middle of October, at which time the young
feed principally upon wild berries.
The Catbird often tunes his cheerful song before the break
of day, hopping from bush to bush with great agility after his
insect prey, while yet scarcely distinguishable amidst the dusky
shadows of the dawn. The notes of different individuals vary
considerably, so that sometimes his song in sweetness and
compass is scarcely at all inferior to that of the Ferruginous
Thrush. A quaintness, however, prevails in all his efforts, and
his song is frequently made up of short and blended imitations
of other birds, — given, however, with great emphasis, melody,
and variety of tone, and, like the Nightingale, invading the
hours of repose. In the late twilight of a summer’s evening,
when scarce another note is heard but the hum of the drowsy
beetle, his music attains its full effect, and often rises and falls
with all the swell and studied cadence of finished harmony.
196 SINGING BIRDS.
During the heat of the day, or late in the morning, the variety
of his song declines, or he pursues his employment in silence
and retirement.
About the 25th of May one of these familiar birds came into
the Botanic Garden and took up his summer abode with us.
Soon after his arrival he called up in low whisperings the notes
of the Whip-poor-will, the Redbird, the pezo pezo of the Tufted
Titmouse, and other imitations of Southern birds which he had
collected on his leisurely route from the South. He also soon
mocked the ’¢she-yah ‘tshe-yah of the little Acadian Flycatch-
ers, with which the neighborhood now abounded. He fre-
quently answered to my whistle in the garden, was very silent
during the period of incubation, and expressed great anxiety
and complaint on my approaching the young after their leaving
the nest.
One of the most remarkable propensities of the Catbird, and
to which it owes its name, is the unpleasant, loud, and grating
cat-like mew (‘pay, pay, pay) which it often utters on being
approached or offended. As the irritation increases, this note
becomes more hoarse, reiterated, and vehement; and some-
times this petulance and anger are carried so far as to per-
secute every intruder who approaches the premises. This
temper often prevails after the young are fledged ; and though
originating no doubt in parental anxiety, it sometimes appears
to outlive that season, and occasionally becomes such an an-
noyance that a revengeful and fatal blow from a stick or stone
is but too often, with the thoughtless and prejudiced, the re-
ward of this harmless and capricious provocation. At such
times, with little apparent cause, the agitation of the bird is
excessive ; she hurries backward and forward with hanging
wings and open mouth, mewing and screaming in a paroxysm
of scolding anger, and alighting almost to peck the very hand
that offers the insult. To touch a twig or branch in any part
of the garden or wood is often amply sufficient to call down
the amusing termagant. This harmless excess, and simulation
of grimalkin’s tone, — that wizard animal so much disliked by
many, — are unfortunate associations in the cry of the Ca¢bird ;
CATBIRD. 197
and thus, coupled with an ill name, this delightful and familiar
songster, who seeks out the very society of man and reposes
an unmerited confidence in his protection, is treated with un-
deserved obloquy and contempt. The flight of the Catbird is
laborious, and usually continued only from bush to bush; his
progress, however, is very wily, and his attitudes and jerks
amusingly capricious. He appears to have very little fear of
enemies, often descends to the ground in quest of insects, and
though almost familiar, is very quick in his retreat from real
danger.
The food of the Catbird is similar to that of the preceding
species, being insects and worms, particularly beetles, and va-
rious garden fruits; feeding his young often on cherries and
various kinds of berries. Sometimes these birds are observed
to attack snakes when they approach the vicinity of the nest,
and commonly succeed in driving off the enemy ; when bitten,
however, by the poisonous kinds, it is probable, as related,
that they may act in such a manner as to appear laboring
under the influence of fascination. The Catbird, when raised
from the nest, is easily domesticated, becomes a very amusing
inmate, and seems attached to his cage, as to a dwelling or
place of security. About dawn of day, if at large, he flirts
about with affected wildness, repeatedly jerks his tail and
wings with the noise almost of a whip, and stretching forth his
head, opens his mouth and mews. Sometimes this curious
cry is so guttural as to be uttered without opening the bill. He
often also gives a squeal as he flies from one place to another,
and is very tame, though pugnacious to all other birds which
approach him for injury. When wanting food, he stirs round
with great uneasiness, jerks everything about within his reach,
and utters the feeble cry of the caged Mocking Bird. A very
amusing individual, which I now describe, began his vocal
powers by imitating the sweet and low warble of the Song
Sparrow, as given in the autumn; and from his love of imita-
tion on other occasions, I am! inclined to believe that he pos-
sesses no original note of his own, but acquires and modulates
the songs of other birds. Like the Robin, he is exceedingly
198 SINGING BIRDS.
fond of washing, and dashes about in the water till every
feather appears drenched; he also, at times, basks in the
gravel in fine weather. His food, in confinement, is almost
everything vegetable except unbruised seeds, —as bread, fine
pastry, cakes, scalded cornmeal, fruits, particularly those which
are juicy, and now and then insects and minced flesh.
The Catbird occurs regularly along the Annapolis valley in
Nova Scotia, and in New Brunswick between the Maine border
and the valley of the St.John, but it is rarely seen elsewhere in the
Maritime Provinces. It is fairly common near the city of Quebec,
and abundant about Montreal and in Ontario.
ROBIN.
MERULA MIGRATORIA.
CuHar. Above, olive gray; head and neck darker, sometimes blacks
wings and tail dusky; outer tail-feathers broadly tipped with white; be-
neath, brownish red; throat white with dark streaks; under tail-coverts
white; bill yellow. Length 9 to ro inches.
Nest. Usually in a tree, but often on fence-rail or window-ledge of
house or barn; a bulky but compact structure of grass, twigs, etc.,
cemented with mud.
Leggs. 4-5; greenish blue (occasionally speckled); 1.15 X 0.80.
The familiar and welcome Robins are found in summer
throughout the North American continent from the desolate
regions of Hudson’s Bay, in the 53d degree, to the tableland
of Mexico. In all this vast space the American Fieldfares rear
their young, avoiding only the warmer maritime districts, to
which, however, they flock for support during the inclemency
of winter. The Robins have no fixed time for migration, nor
any particular rendezvous; they retire from the higher lati-
tudes only as their food begins to fail, and so leisurely and
desultory are their movements that they make their appear-
ance in straggling parties even in Massachusetts, feeding on
. . . * . . .
winter berries till driven to the South by deep and inundating
snows. At this season they swarm in the Southern States,
though they never move in large bodies, The holly, prinos,
ROBIN. 199
sumach, smilax, candle-berry myrtle, and the Virginian juniper
now afford them an ample repast in the winter, in the absence
of the more juicy berries of autumn, and the insects and
worms of the milder season. Even in the vicinity of Boston
flocks of Robins are seen, in certain seasons, assembling round
open springs in the depth of winter, having arrived probably
from the colder interior of the State ; and in those situations they
are consequently often trapped and killed in great numbers.
Towards the close of January in South Carolina the Robin
at intervals still tuned his song ; and about the second week of
March, in the Middle States, before the snows of winter have
wholly disappeared, a few desultory notes are already given.
As soon as the roth of this month they may at times also be
heard in this part of New England. Early in April, however,
at the close of the jealous contests, which are waged with ob-
stinacy, they are only seen in pairs; and now from the orchard
or the edge of the forest, deliver their simple, thrilling lays in
all the artless energy of true affection. This earnest song re-
calls to mind the mellow whistle of the Thrush, which in the
charming month of May so sweetly rises in warbling echoes
from the low copse and shady glen. Our American bird has
not, however, the compass and variety of that familiar and
much-loved songster; but his freedom and willingness to
please, render him an universal favorite, and he now comes,
as it were, with the welcome prelude to the general concert
about to burst upon us from all the green woods and blooming
orchards. With this pleasing association with the opening
season, amidst the fragrance of flowers and the improving ver-
dure of the fields, we listen with peculiar pleasure to the sim-
ple song of the Robin. The confidence he reposes in us by
making his abode in our gardens and orchards, the frankness
and innocence of his manners, besides his vocal powers to
please, inspire respect. and attachment even in the truant
school-boy, and his exposed nest is but rarely molested. He
owes, however, this immunity in no small degree to the fortu-
nate name which he bears; as the favorite Robin Redbreast,
said to have covered with a leafy shroud the lost and wander-
200 SINGING BIRDS.
ing “ babes in the woods,” is held in universal respect in every
part of Europe, where he is known by endearing names, and so
familiar in winter that he sometimes taps at the window or
enters the house in search of crumbs, and like the domestic
fowls, claims his welcome pittance at the farmer’s door.
The nest of this species is often on the horizontal branch of
an apple-tree, or in a bush or tree in the woods, and so large
as to be scarcely ever wholly concealed. The parents show
great affection, courage, and anxiety for the safety of their
young, keeping up a noisy cackling chirp when the place is
approached, sometimes even boldly pecking at the hand or
flying in the face of the intruder; and they have often serious
contests with the piratical Cuckoo, who slyly watches the ab-
sence of the parents to devour their eggs. To avoid these
visits and the attacks of other enemies, the Robin has been
known to build his nest within a few yards of the blacksmith’s
anvil; and in Portsmouth (New Hampshire) one was seen to
employ for the same purpose the stern timbers of an unfin-
ished vessel, in which the carpenters were constantly at work,
the bird appearing by this adventurous association as if con-
scious of the protection of so singular and bold a situation. I
have also seen a nest of the Robin bottomed with a mass of
pine shavings taken without alarm from the bench of the car-
penter. From the petulant and reiterated chirp so commonly
uttered by the Robin when surprised or irritated, the Indians
of Hudson’s Bay call him, from this note, Pee-pée-tshu. They
often also utter a loud echoing ’£2 ’£A RA, and sometimes
chirp in a high or slender tone when alarmed, and with an
affectation of anger sharply flirt the tail and ends of the wings.
They raise several broods in a season, and considerable num-
bers flock together in the latter end of summer and autumn.
When feeding on cherries, poke, sassafras, and sour-gum ber-
ries, they are so intent as to be easily approached and shot
down in numbers; and when fat are justly esteemed for food
and often brought to market. In the spring they frequently
descend to the ground in quest of worms and insects, which
then constitute their principal support.
ROBIN, 201
They are commonly brought up in the cage, and seem very
docile and content. They sing well, readily learn to imitate
lively parts of tunes, and some have been taught to pipe forth
psalms even to so dull and solemn a measure as that of “ O/d
Hundred”! They acquire also a considerable taste for mim-
ickry, imitating the notes of most of the birds around them,
such as the Bluebird, Pewee, Whip-poor-will, and others. On
being approached with the finger, they usually make some
show of anger by cracking and snapping the bill. At times
they become very tame, and will go in and out of the house
with domestic confidence, feel uneasy when left alone, and on
such occasions have sometimes the sagacity of calling attention
by articulating endearing words, as pretty, pretty, etc., connec-
ting, apparently with these expressions, their general import of
attentive blandishment. They become almost naked in the
moulting season, in which they appear to suffer considerably,
yet have been known to survive for 17 years or upwards. The
rufous color of the breast becomes deeper in those birds which
thus live in confinement. Their principal song is in the morn-
ing, and commences before sunrise, at which time it is very
loud, full, and emphatic.
The eastern form of this species is not found westward of the
Great Plains excepting in the far North, where it has been traced
to the Yukon district of Alaska. From the eastern base of the
Rockies to the Pacific it is replaced by propingua, a larger, grayer
variety.
I have seen large flocks of Robins in New Brunswick during
some winters, and every year they are more or less common during
the cold months. These winter birds have much more white on
their under parts than is seen on specimens taken in the summer,
and their entire plumage is hoary. They doubtless spend the sum-
mer much farther north,— probably on the barren lands which
border the Arctic Ocean, — and are but the northernmost edge of
that cloud of Robins which every autumn rises from their breeding-
grounds and sails away southward until, when it has finally settled,
its eastern margin is found stretched from the Gulf of St. Lawrence
to the West Indies. Throughout this range, embracing as it does
many variations of climate, Robins may be found in suitable local-
ities during every winter, rather rare, sometimes, at the north,
but increasing in abundance towards the South.
202 SINGING BIRDS.
The habit of this species of assembling in large communities to
roost at night, during the summer months, was unknown to natur-
alists until a few years ago, and no mention of this habit appeared
in print until October, 1890, when detailed accounts of several
“roosts” that had been discovered in the vicinity of Boston were
published in the “ Atlantic Monthly ” and “The Auk.” They were
written by Mr. Bradford Torrey and Mr. William Brewster re-
spectively. The “roosts” are situated in Norton’s Woods, on
Beaver Brook, Belmont, in Longwood, and in Melrose.
The Robins assembling in these places are numbered by
thousands,
Notre.— A few examples of the VARIED THRUSH (Hesfero-
cichla nevia) have wandered from the Pacific coast to the Eastern
States; and the RED-wINGED THRUSH (7urdus zliacus) occasion-
ally wanders from Europe to Greenland.
WOOD THRUSH.
TuRDUS MUSTELINUS.
CHar. Above, tawny, brightest on head, shading to olive on rump
and tail; beneath, white; breast and sides marked with round spots of
dusky. Length 714 to 8% inches.
Nest. Ina thicket or on low branch of small tree, usually in a moist
place; of grass and leaves cemented with mud, lined with fine roots.
Eggs. 3-5; pale greenish blue; 1.05 X 0:75.
This solitary and retiring songster during summer inhabits
the whole continent from Hudson’s Bay to Florida; and ac-
cording to my friend Mr. Ware, breeds as far south as the
vicinity of Natchez, in the territory of Mississippi. Whether
it leaves the boundaries of the United States in the winter is
not satisfactorily ascertained ; as the species is then silent, and
always difficult of access, its residénce is rendered peculiarly
doubtful. The lateness of the season in which it still lingers
renders it probable that it may winter in the Southern States,
as a young bird, gleaning insects and berries, has been caught
in a garden in Boston on the 26th of October.
From the southern parts of the Union, or wherever he may
winter, the Wood Thrush arrives in the Middle States from the
t. Redstart.
2.Blue Jay.
5. Duck Hawk.
3.Wood Thrush.
4. Water Thrush.
PLIV.
WOOD THRUSH. 203
ist to the 15th of April; though his appearance here, where
the species is scarce, does not take place “earlier than the be-
ginning of May. At the dawn of morning he now announces
his presence in the woods, and from the top of some tall tree,
rising through the dark and shady forest, he pours out his few,
clear, and harmonious notes in a pleasing revery, as if inspired
by the enthusiasm of renovated Nature. The prelude to this
song resembles almost the double tonguing of the flute, blended
with a tinkling, shrill, and solemn warble which re-echoes from
his solitary retreat like the dirge of some sad recluse who
shuns the busy haunts of life. The whole air consists usually
of 4 parts or bars, which succeed, in deliberate time, and
finally blend together in impressive and soothing harmony,
becoming more mellow and sweet at every repetition. Rival
performers seem to challenge each other from various parts of
the wood, vying for the favor of their mates with sympathetic
responses and softer tones ; and some, waging a jealous strife,
terminate the warm dispute by an appeal to combat and vio-
lence. Like the Robin and the Thrasher, in dark and gloomy
weather, when other birds are sheltered and silent, the clear
notes of the Wood Thrush are heard through the dropping
woods from dawn to dusk, so that the sadder the day, the
sweeter and more constant is his song. His clear and inter-
rupted whistle is likewise often nearly the only voice of melody
heard by the traveller, to mid-day, in the heat of summer, as he
traverses the silent, dark, and wooded wilderness, remote from
the haunts of men. It is nearly impossible by words to con-
vey any idea of the peculiar warble of this vocal hermit; but
amongst his phrases the sound of ’azrdce, peculiarly liquid, and
followed by a trill repeated in two interrupted bars, is readily
recognizable. At times the notes bear a considerable resem-
blance to those of Wilson’s Thrush; such as eh rhehu ’vrhehu,
then varied to ’ceh willia villa, ’ch villia vrhehu, then ’eh velu
viltiu, high and shrill.
The Wood Thrush is always of a shy and retiring disposi-
tion, appearing alone or only in single pairs, and while he
willingly charms us with his song, he is content and even soli-
204. SINGING BIRDS.
citous to remain concealed. His favorite haunts are low, shady
glens by watercourses, often rendered dark with alder-bushes,
mantled with the trailing grape-vine. In quest of his insect
prey, he delights to follow the meanders of the rivulet, through
whose leafy shades the sunbeams steal only in a few inter-
rupted rays over the sparkling surface of the running brook.
Se partial is this bird to solitude that I have known one to
sing almost uniformly in the same place, though nearly half a
mile from his mate and nest. At times indeed he would ven-
ture a few faltering, low notes in an oak near his consort, but
his mellowest morning and evening warble was always deliv-
ered from a tall hickory, overtopping a grove of hemlock firs,
in which the dimness of twilight prevailed even at noon. The
Wood Thrush, like the Nightingale, therefore feels inspired in
darkness ; but instead of waiting for the setting sun, he chooses
a retreat where the beams of day can seldom enter. These
shady retreats have also an additional attraction to our Thrush ;
it is here that the most interesting scene of his instinctive
Jabor begins and ends ; here he first saw the light and breathed
into existence ; and here he now bestows his nest in a sapling
oak, or in the next thick laurel or blooming alder, whose ber-
ries afford him ample repast in the coming autumn. Beetles,
caterpillars, various insects, and in autumn, berries, constitute
the principal food of the Wood Thrush. The young remain
for weeks around gardens in quest of berries, and are particu-
larly fond of those of the various species of cornel and vibur-
num. At this season they occasionally leave their favorite
glens, and in their devious wanderings, previous to their de-
parture, sometimes venture to visit the rural suburbs of the
city. The young are easily raised, and sing nearly as well in
the cage as in their native wilds.
Nuttall made a mistake in giving to the Wood Thrush so ex-
tended a range, and must have confused this species with the
Olive-backed, of which he makes no mention. In New England
the Wood Thrush is rarely found north of Massachusetts excepting
in western Vermont. It occurs in the southern parts of Ontario
and Michigan, and has been taken in Minnesota. It has been
found in winter in Cuba and Guatemala.
HERMIT THRUSH, 205
HERMIT THRUSH.
SWAMP ROBIN,
TURDUS AONALASCHKA PALLASII.
Cuar. Above, olive brown or russet, shading to rufous on rump and
tail; beneath buffish, shaded with olive on sides; throat and breast
marked with olive wedge-shaped spots. Length 634 to 734 inches.
Jest. On the ground, loosely made of leaves, grass, and moss.
Eggs. 3-5; greenish blue ; 0.85 X 0.65.
This species, so much like the Nightingale in color, is scarce
inferior to that celebrated bird in its powers of song, and
greatly exceeds the Wood Thrush in the melody and sweetness
of its lay. It inhabits the United States from the lofty alpine
mountains of New Hampshire to Florida. It is also met with
on the tableland of Mexico and in the warmer climate of the
Antilles. In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New England, at
the close of autumn, it appears to migrate eastward to the sea-
coast in quest of the winter berries on which it now feeds; in
spring and summer it lives chiefly on insects and their larve,
and also collects the surviving berries of the AZitchella repens.
Like the preceding species, it appears to court solitude, and
lives wholly in the woods. In the Southern States, where it
inhabits the whole year, it frequents the dark and desolate
shades of the cane swamps. In these almost Stygian regions,
which, besides being cool, abound probably with its favorite
insect food, we are nearly sure to meet our sweetly vocal
hermit flitting through the settled gloom, which the brightest
rays of noon scarcely illumine with more than twilight. In one
of such swamps, in the Choctaw nation, Wilson examined a
nest of this species which was fixed on the horizontal branch
of a tree, formed with great neatness and without using any
plastering of mud. The outside was made of a layer of coarse
grass, having the roots attached, and intermixed with horse-
hair ; the lining consisted of green filiform blades of dry grass
very neatly wound about the interior.
In the Middle States these birds are only seen for a few
206 SINGING BIRDS.
weeks in the spring and fall. They arrive in this part of New
England about the 1oth of April, and disperse to pass the
summer in the seclusion of the forest. They are often seen on
the ground in quest of their food, and frequent low and thick
copses, into which they commonly fly for concealment when
too attentively observed ; though when in small companies, in
the spring season, they do not appear very shy, but restless
from the unsettled state of their circumstances. When dis-
persed, they utter a low, chirping call, and for some time
continue to frequent the same secluded part of the forest
in society. At times, like the Wagtail, they keep this part of
their body in a slow, vertical motion. In manners they strongly
resemble the following species, but their song seems to be
unusually lively and varied.
The Hermit is a common bird in the Maritime Provinces and
Quebec, and nests from about latitude 44° northward. It is com-
mon on Anticosti and along the north shore of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence, and has been taken at Lake Mistassini. In Ontario it
occurs chiefly as a migrant, though breeding in the Muskoka
district. In New England also it is principally known as a
migrant, breeding in numbers only along the northern border and
on the higher hills of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The nest
has been taken in Ohio and in southern Michigan.
The opinions expressed by Nuttall that the Hermit Thrush isa
peculiarly shy and solitary bird, and that its favorite resorts are
amid the deep forests, are, I think, somewhat misleading; at least
my observations in New Brunswick led me to form quite different
opinions. I did find these birds courting retirement and appar-
ently destitute of either vanity or curiosity; but they always dis-
played a calm self-possession that is inconsistent with shyness.
Nor were they peculiarly solitary, for though it was unusual to see
a number of them in close companionship, it was not unusual to
meet with half a dozen in as many minutes, or to find as many
nests within a small area.
Like all woodland birds, they prefer the groves to the open fields,
and they enjoy a cool shade in a moist valley; but they build
their nests near the settlements, and rarely go into the denser for-
ests. This is their habit in New Brunswick, though of course when
farther north they must resort to the timber districts; there are
few settlements to attract them.
WILSON’S THRUSH.
TAWNY THRUSH. VEERY.
TURDUS FUSCESCENS.
Cuar. Above, light tawny or rufous; beneath, white, shaded with
creamy buff on breast, and with olive on sides; breast spotted with
tawny. Length 6% to 73 inches.
Vest. On the ground or near it, usually at the base of small tree or in
tuft of old grass ; of leaves and grass, lined with fine roots.
£ggs. 3-5; pale greenish blue; 0.85 X 0.65.
This common Northern species arrives in Pennsylvania and
New England about the beginning of May, and its northern
range extends as far as Labrador. It appears to retire to the
South early in October, and is more decidedly insectivorous
than any other native species. According to Wilson, many of
208 SINGING BIRDS.
these birds winter in the myrtle-swamps of South Carolina. I
have not, however, seen them in the Southern States at that
season, and most part of the species pass on probably as far as
the coast of the Mexican Gulf. They do not, according to
Wilson, breed in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, though un-
doubtedly they do in the mountainous districts, where they are
seen as late as the 20th of May. They propagate and are very
common in Massachusetts.
In its retiring habits and love of concealment this Thrush
resembles the preceding. It frequents the dark and shady
borders of small brooks and woods, and sometimes the bushy
and retired parts of the garden; from whence, without being
often seen, in the morning and particularly the evening to the
very approach of night, we often hear the singular, quaint, and
musical note of this querulous species at short intervals, as one
perches upon some low branch of a tree or bush. This curious
whistling note sounds like ‘vehu 'v’rehu 'v'rehu ‘v'rehu, and
sometimes ‘ved ved 'vreha 'vrehd vehu, running up the notes
till they become shrill and quick at the close, in the first
phrase, but from high to low, and terminating slender and
slow, in the latter; another expression seems to be, ‘ve ‘ved
vehurr, ascending like a whistle. The song of another indi-
vidual was expressed in the following manner: ’ve ’v7d/i//'villill
"tullill'tullal, Yt was then repeated with variation, ’ve willl
vill villi; then willilhd villilhll, tullihll tullihtl ; the whole
agreeably and singularly delivered in a shrill, hollow voice,
almost like the sound of liquor passing through a tunnel into a
bottle. I have also heard several of these sounds, sometimes
occasionally prefaced by a mewing or chirping warble. These
sounds, though monotonous, are possessed of greater variety
than is at first imagined, the terminating tone or key changing
through several repetitions, so as to constitute a harmony and
melody in some degree approaching the song of the more
musical Wood Thrush. From this habit of serenading into
the night, the species is sometimes here dignified with the
nickname of the Nightingale. Occasionally he utters an angry,
rather plaintive mew, like the Catbird, or a quivering bleat
WILSON’S THRUSH. 209
almost similar to that of a lamb ; and when approached, watches
and follows the intruder with an angry or petulant gueah
queah ; at other times a sort of mewing, melancholy, or com-
plaining y’eow 'y’ecow is heard, and then, perhaps, a hasty and
impatient pdt peut follows. The food of this species, at least
during the early part of summer, appears to be shelly insects of
various kinds, particularly Chrysomedas, or lady-bugs, and those
many legged hard worms of the genus /w/us.
A good while after the commencement of the period of in-
cubation I have observed the males engaged in obstinate quar-
rels. On the 4th of June, 1830, I observed two of these
petulant Thrushes thus fiercely and jealously contending ; one
of them used a plaintive and angry tone as he chased his
antagonist up and down the tree. At length, however, a cousin
Catbird, to which this species has some affinity, stepped in be-
twixt the combatants, and they soon parted. One of these
birds had a nest and mate in the gooseberry bush of a neigh-
boring garden ; the second bird was thus a dissatisfied hermit,
and spent many weeks in the Botanic Garden, where, though
at times sad and solitary, yet he constantly amused us with his
forlorn song, and seemed at last, as it were, acquainted with
those who whistled for him, peeping out of the bushes with a
sort of complaisant curiosity, and from his almost nocturnal
habits became a great persecutor of the assassin Owl whenever
he dared to make his appearance.
The nest of Wilson’s Thrush (commenced about the close of
the first week in May) is usually in a low and thorny bush in
the darkest part of the forest, at no great distance from the
ground (1 to 3 feet), sometimes indeed on the earth, but
raised by a bed of leaves, and greatly resembles that of the
Catbird. This species seems, indeed, for security artfully to
depend on the resemblance of itself and its leafy nest with the
bosom of the forest on which it rests, and when approached it
sits so close as nearly to admit of being taken up by the hand.
The nest sometimes appears without any shelter but shade and
association of colors with the place on which it rests. I have
seen one placed on a mass of prostrated dead brambles, on a
VOL. I. — 14
210 SINGING BIRDS.
fallen heap of lilac twigs in a ravine, and also in a small
withered branch of red oak which had fallen into a bush; be-
low it was also bedded with exactly similar leaves, so as easily
to deceive the eye. But with all these precautions they appear
to lose many eggs and young by squirrels and other animals.
The nest is usually bottomed with dry oak or beech leaves,
coarse stalks of grass and weeds, and lined very generally with
naturally dissected foliage, its stalks, some fine grass, and at
other times a mixture of root-fibres ; but no earth is employed-
in the fabric. The eggs, 4 or 5, are of an emerald green with-
out spots, and differ from those of the Catbird only in being a
little smaller and more inclined to blue. So shy is the species
that though I feigned a violent chirping near the nest contain-
ing their young, which brought Sparrows and a neighboring
Baltimore to the rescue, the parents, peeping at a distance, did
not venture to approach or even express any marked concern,
though they prove very watchful guardians when their brood
are fledged and with them in the woods. They have com-
monly two broods in the season; the second being raised
about the middle of July, after which their musical notes are
but seldom heard. I afterwards by an accident obtained a
young fledged bird, which retained in the cage the unsocial
and silent timidity peculiar to the species.
Wilson’s Thrush breeds farther to the southward than the Her-
mit, but does not range quite so far north. It is common in the
Maritime Provinces and near the city of Quebec, but has not been
taken recently on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Though it is abundant in Manitoba, and Chapman reports its
occurrence in Newfoundland, it breeds abundantly in Ontario and
in northern Ohio.
In New Brunswick I have found the nest as frequently in an
open pasture as in more obscure places.
Note. — The WILLow THRUSH (7. fuscescens salicicola), a
Rocky Mountain form, occurs occasionally in Illinois and casually
in South Carolina.
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH. 211
OLIVE-BACKED THRUSH.
TURDUS USTULATUS SWAINSONIL.
CuHar. Above, olive ; beneath, white, shaded with olive on the sides ;
sides of head, neck, and breast tinged with buff; throat and breast
spotted with olive; yellowish ring around the eye. Length 6% to7%
inches.
Vest. Ina low tree or bush; of twigs, leaves, grass, etc.
£ggs. 3-4; greenish blue speckled with brown; 0.90 X 0.65.
This species was omitted by Nuttall, though given by Wilson. It
has much the same range and similar habits as the Hermit, though
differing in its song and the location of its nest. The tone of its
voice is richer and rounder — more flute-like and less metallic —
than that of any other of the small Thrushes; but the song lacks
that spiritual quality so conspicuous in the hymn-like melody of
the Hermit.
The Olive-backed is found throughout the temperate region of
eastern North America, and westward to the eastern base of the
Rockies. It breeds in northern New England and northward, and
in the elevated portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well
as in northern New York and Michigan, and winters in the Gulf
States and southward to Panama.
It is common in the Maritime Provinces, but is reported rather
rare between Montreal and Lake Huron, though it being an abun-
dant migrant through Ohio, I should expect to find it plentiful in
portions of Ontario.
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH.
ALICE’S THRUSH.
TURDUS ALICLE.
CuHar. Above, olive; cheeks grayish, a whitish ring round the eyes ;
beneath, white; sides tinged with olive; throat and breast tinged with
buff and marked with large dark spots. Length 7 to 734 inches.
Nest. Ina low bush or on the ground; of grass and leaves, etc., lined
with fine grass.
£ggs. 3-4; greenish blue spotted with brown; 0.90 X 0.70.
After much contention as to the validity of Alice’s Thrush as a
variety of the Olive-backed, the systematists have decided to give it
212 SINGING BIRDS.
specific rank. In appearance it differs from swazwsondd chiefly in
lacking the yellow around the eye, and in having gray instead of
buff cheeks. AJici@ is also a trifle the larger of the two.
The distribution of the present species has not yet been thor-
oughly worked out, for only a few years have passed since its
discovery; but it is known to occur in the United States and the
settled portions of Canada as a migrant only, breeding north to
the Arctic, and wintering south to Costa Rica.
BICKNELL’S THRUSH.
TURDUS ALICLE BICKNELLI.
CuHar. Above, olive, varying from a grayish to a russet tint; wings
and tail slightly browner than back; distinct ring of pale buff around the
eyes; cheeks buffish; beneath, white, tinged with olive on the sides;
throat and breast tinged with buff and marked with large dark spots.
Length 7 to 7% inches.
Nest. On the ground, in a thicket ; composed of twigs, grass, and moss,
lined with grass.
£ggs. 3-4; pale blueish green speckled with brown; 0.85 X 0.65.
This variety of the Gray-cheeked Thrush was discovered by
Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell amid the Catskill Mountains in 1885. It
has been found on all the higher ranges of Eastern America and
in Illinois, and Mr. Langille claims to have discovered the nest
on an island off the southern coast of Nova Scotia.
WATER THRUSH.
WATER WAGTAIL.
SEIURUS NOVEBORACENSIS.
CHAR. Above, deep olive brown; line over the eye whitish; beneath,
white tinged with bright yellow, and spotted with olive. Length 5% to
6 inches.
Nest. On the ground, in border of swamp or stream; bulky, and
loosely made of moss, leaves, and grass, lined with roots. Sometimes
deeply imbedded in moss, or covered with it.
Leggs. 4-6; white, spotted, most heavily near the larger end, with
brown and lilac; 0.75 X 0.55.
WATER-THRUSH. 213
This shy and retiring sylvan species extends its summer
migrations throughout the United States, breeding rarely in
Pennsylvania, proceeding principally to the western and
northern regions at the period of incubation. Mr. Townsend
and myself observed this bird in Oregon, as well as in Missouri,
where it was, no doubt, breeding, and sung in a very lively
manner, keeping in a shady wood which bordered a small
stream, often descending to the ground after aquatic insects or
larvee, and with the tail in a constant balancing motion, re-
minding us strongly of the Wagtail or Motacilla of Europe.
The Aquatic Thrush has, indeed, a particular partiality for
the vicinity of waters, wading in the shallow streams in search
of insects, moving its tail as it leisurely follows its pursuit, and
chattering as it flies. During its transient migrating visits it is
very timid, and darts into the thickets as soon as approached,
uttering a sharp and rather plaintive “/7p’ of alarm. About
the beginning of May, these birds appear in Pennsylvania from
the South, and stay around dark and solitary streams for ten
or twelve days, and then disappear until about the middle of
August, when, on their way to their tropical winter quarters,
they leave the swamps and mountains of their summer retreat,
and, after again gleaning a transient subsistence for a few days
towards the sea-coast, depart for the season. In Massachu-
setts they are scarcely ever seen except in the autumn, and
continue in shady gardens, probably feeding on small wild
berries till nearly the close of September.
It appears, according to Wilson, that the favorite resort of
this species is in the cane-brakes, swamps, river shores, and
watery solitudes of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi.
Here it is abundant, and is eminently distinguished by the
loudness, sweetness, and expressive vivacity of its notes, which,
beginning high and clear, flow and descend in a cadence so
delicate as to terminate in sounds that are scarcely audible.
At such times the singer sits perched on some branch which
stretches impending over the flowing stream, and pours out his
charming melody with such effect as'to be heard at the dis-
tance of nearly half a mile, giving a peculiar charm to the dark
214 SINGING BIRDS.
and solitary wilds he inhabits. The silence of night is also, at
times, relieved by the incessant warble of this Western Philo-
mel, whose voice, breaking upon the ear of the lonely traveller
in the wilderness, seems like the dulcet lay of something super-
natural. His song is also heard in the winter when the
weather proves mild. In this habit he appears considerably
allied to the Reed Thrush or River Nightingale of Europe,
which night and day almost ceaselessly sings, and soothes his
sitting mate, among the reeds and marshes of his favorite
resorts.
Since Nuttall’s day the Water Thrush has been separated from
the true Thrushes and classed with the Warblers. The birds seen
by Wilson and Audubon in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi
were doubtless referable to -zofacz//a, for though the present spe-
cies is found throughout this Eastern Province, west to Illinois and
Manitoba, it seldom has been discovered breeding south of 45°. It
is a rather common spring and autumn visitor to Massachusetts,
and may breed in small numbers on the Berkshire hills.
On the plains the type is replaced by the variety named xofadi/is,
— GRINNELL’S WATER-THRUSH, — which is larger and darker.
Notabilis occurs occasionally in Illinois and Indiana.
LOUISIANA WATER THRUSH.
SEIURUS MOTACILLA.
Cuar. Similar to zoveboracensis, but larger, and bill longer and stouter.
Under parts tinged with buff, but never with bright yellow; throat free
from spots. Length 534 to 6% inches.
Vest. On the ground, hidden amid roots of fallen tree, or on a mossy
bank ; composed of leaves, grass, and moss, lined with grass and hair.
£ggs. 4-6; white, sometimes with creamy tint, speckled with brown
and lilac; 0.75 X 0.60.
The range of this species extends from southern New England,
the Great Lakes, and Minnesota (in summer) to the Gulf States
and Central America (in winter). A few pairs are seen every sea-
son in southern Ontario. Its habits do not differ from those of its
congener.
OVEN-BIRD.
GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH.
SEIURUS AUROCAPILLUS.
Cuar. Above, olive ; crown orange-brown, bordered with black stripes,
white ring around the eyes; beneath, white, spotted with olive. Length
534 to 6% inches.
West. On the ground, at the foot of a tree or in the moss on a decayed
log ; rather loosely made of twigs, grass, leaves, and moss, lined with fine
grass and hair. The top is often completely roofed, sometimes arched or
domed; the entrance on the side.
fiegs. 4-6; creamy white, spotted with brown and lilac; 0.80 X 0.55.
This rather common bird, so nearly allied to the true
Thrushes, is found throughout the forests of the United States,
Canada, and in the territory of Oregon during the summer,
arriving in the Middle and Northern States about the beginning
of May or close of April, and departing for tropical America,
Mexico, and the larger West India islands early in September.
The Golden-crowned Thrush, shy and retiring, is never seen
out of the shade of the woods, and sits and runs along the
ground often like the Lark; it also frequents the branches of
trees, and sometimes moves its tail in the manner of the Wag-
tails. It has few pretensions to song, and while perched in
the deep and shady part of the forest, it utters, at intervals, a
simple, long, reiterated note of ’tsh’e tshe tshe tshe tshe, rising
from low to high and shrill, so’as to give but little idea of the
distance or place from whence the sound proceeds, and often
appearing, from the loudness of the closing cadence, to be much
216 SINGING BIRDS.
nearer than it really is. As soon as discovered, like the Wood
Thrush, it darts at once timidly into the depths of its sylvan
retreat. During the period of incubation, the deliberate lay
of the male, from some horizontal branch of the forest tree,
where it often sits usually still, is a ’éshe te tshe é tshe @ tshee,
gradually rising and growing louder. Towards dusk in the
evening, however, it now and then utters a sudden burst of
notes with a short, agreeable warble, which terminates com-
monly in the usual ’¢she ze tshe. Its curious oven-shaped nest
is known to all the sportsmen who traverse the solitary wilds
which it inhabits. This ingenious fabric is sunk a little into the
ground, and generally situated on some dry and mossy bank
contiguous to bushes, or on an uncleared surface ; it is formed,
with great neatness, of dry blades of grass, and lined with the
same; it is then surmounted by a thick inclined roof of simi-
lar materials, the surface scattered with leaves and twigs so as
to match the rest of the ground, and an entrance is left at the
side. Near Milton hills, in this vicinity, the situation chosen
was among low whortleberry bushes, in a stunted cedar and
oak grove. When surprised, the bird escapes, or runs from the
nest with the silence and celerity of a mouse. If an attempt
be made to discover the nest from which she is flushed, she
stops, flutters, and pretends lameness, and watching the success
of the manceuvre, at length, when the decoy seems complete,
she takes to wing and disappears. The Oven Bird is another
of the foster-parents sometimes chosen by the Cow Troopial ;
and she rears the foundling with her accustomed care and
affection, and keeps up an incessant 4/7 when her unfledged
brood are even distantly approached. These birds have often
two broods in a season in the Middle States. Their food is
wholly insects and their larvee, particularly small coleopterous
kinds and ants, chiefly collected on the ground.
The Oven-bird, like the Water-Thrush, has been removed by
modern authorities from classification with the Thrush family and
placed with the Warblers. It is now known to breed from Virginia
and Kansas to Labrador and Manitoba. It is abundant in Massa-
chusetts and the Maritime Provinces, and common over its entire
range. It winters in Florida and as far south as Central America.
MYRTLE WARBLER, 217
MYRTLE WARBLER,
YELLOW-RUMP WARBLER. YELLOW-CROWNED WARBLER.
DENDROICA CORONATA.
CHAR. Male: above, bluish gray streaked with black; sides of head
black ; breast and sides mostly black; patches of yellow on crown and
rump and sides of breast ; throat and belly white ; wing-bars and patches
on tail white. Female, young, and male in winter: similar, but the back
with a tint of brown in place of blue, and all colors duller, and markings
less distinct. Length 5 to 6 inches.
West. Ina coniferous tree § to 10 feet from the ground, in a pasture or
open grove of woodland; composed of twigs and grass, lined with fine
grass, sometimes with feathers.
Figgs. 4-5; dull white or creamy white, spotted chiefly around the
larger end with brown and lilac; 0.70 X 0.50.
The history of this rather common Warbler remains very
imperfect. In the Middle and Northern States it is a bird of
passage, arriving from the South about the close of April or
beginning of May, and proceeding north as far as Canada and
Labrador to pass the summer season in the cares of breeding
and rearing the young. As early as the 30th of August, or after
an absence of little more than three months, these birds again
appear; and being hardy, passing parties continue with us in
gardens and woods till about the close of November, feeding
now almost exclusively on the myrtle-wax berries (A/yrica ceri-
Jera), or on those of the Virginian juniper. These, other late
and persisting berries, and occasional insects, constitute their
winter food in the Southern States, where, in considerable num-
bers, in the swamps and sheltered groves of the sea-coast, they
pass the cold season. In fine weather, in the early part of Oc-
tober, they may be seen, at times, collecting grasshoppers and
moths from the meadows and pastures, and, like the Blue Bird,
they often watch for the appearance of their prey from a neigh-
boring stake, low bough, or fence-rail; and at this time are so
familiar and unsuspicious, particularly the young, as fearlessly
to approach almost within the reach of the silent spectator. At
218 SINGING BIRDS.
the period of migration, they appear in an altered and less
brilliant dress. The bright yellow spot on the crown is now
edged with brownish olive, so that the prevailing color of this
beautiful mark is only seen on shedding the feathers with the
hand ; a brownish tint is also added to the whole plumage. But
Wilson’s figure of this supposed autumnal change only repre-
sents the young bird. The old is, in fact, but little less brilliant
than in summer, and I have a well-founded suspicion that the
wearing of the edges of the feathers, or some other secondary
cause, alone produces this change in the livery of spring, par-
ticularly as it is not any sexual distinction.
While feeding they are very active, in the manner of Fly-
catchers, hovering among the cedars and myrtles with hanging
wings, and only rest when satisfied with gleaning food. In
spring they are still more timid, busy, and restless. According
to Audubon, the nest and eggs are_scarcely to be distinguished
from those of Sylvia estiva ; one which he examined from
Nova Scotia was made in the extremity of the branch of a low
fir-tree, about five feet from the ground. When approached,
or while feeding, they only utter a feeble, plaintive zp of
alarm. This beautiful species arrives here about the 7th or
8th of May, and now chiefly frequents the orchards, uttering
at short intervals, in the morning, a sweet and varied, rather
plaintive warble, resembling in part the song of the Summer
Yellow Bird, but much more the farewell, solitary autumnal
notes of the Robin Redbreast of Europe. The tones at times
are also so ventriloquial and variable in elevation that it is not
always easy to ascertain the spot whence they proceed. While
thus engaged in quest of small caterpillars, the Myrtle seems
almost insensible to obtrusion, and familiarly searches for its
prey, however near we may approach.
The “ Yellow-rump ” — by which name this species is best known
— breeds regularly from northern New England northward and
west to Manitoba; also on the Berkshire hills in Massachusetts.
It is an abundant summer resident of the Maritime Provinces, but
elsewhere, in the settled portions of Canada, occurs as a migrant
only. It winters regularly in Massachusetts and central Ohio, and
thence southward as far as Central America. :
YELLOW PALM WARBLER, 219
YELLOW PALM WARBLER.
YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER.
DENDROICA PALMARUM HYPOCHRYSEA,
CHAR. Above, brownish olive ; rump yellowish, dusky streaks on the
back; crown chestnut; line over eye and under parts rich yellow; breast
and sides streaked with brown; no white wing bars; square patches of
white on outer tail-feathers. Adultin winter and young; similar but
colors duller, and markings less distinct; underparts grayish yellow.
Length 5 to 534 inches. ;
Nest. On the ground on border of swamp; loosely made of grass,
weeds, and moss fastened with caterpillar’s silk, lined with roots, hair,
pine-needles, or feathers.
£ggs. 4-5; creamy white, sometimes with roseate tinge, marked on
larger end with fine spots of brown and lilac; 0.65 X 0.50.
The Yellow Red-polls in small numbers arrive in the Middle
and Northern States in the month of April; many proceed as
far as Labrador, where they were seen in summer by Audubon,
and in the month of August the young were generally fledged.
In the Southern States they are abundant in winter. While
here, like many other transient passengers of the family, they
appear extremely busy in quest of their restless insect prey.
They frequent low, swampy thickets, are rare, and their few
feeble notes are said scarcely to deserve the name of a song.
These stragglers remain all summer in Pennsylvania, but the
nest is unknown. ‘They depart in September or early in Octo-
ber, and some probably winter in the southernmost States, as
they were met with in February, by Wilson, near Savannah.
This is a different species from the Palm Warbler, which prob-
ably does not exist in the United States.
This bird appears yet to be very little known. Pennant has
most strangely blended up its description with that of the
Ruby-crowned Wren! his supposed female being precisely
that bird. ;
The Eastern form of the Palm Warbler is a common bird from
the Atlantic to the Mississippi valley, where it is replaced by true
palmarum, and is abundant in summer in northern Maine and
New Brunswick.
220 SINGING BIRDS.
Mr. Neilson thinks it uncommon near Dornald, Quebec, and
says he never sees a specimen later than June rst. Dr. Wheaton
has reported it as a common migrant through Ohio, but it is re-
ported rare in Ontario. Nuttall’s statement, borrowed from Wilson,
that some remained in Pennsylvania during the breeding season,
has not been confirmed by more recent observations.
In habits this species stands peculiar. Unlike other Dendrotce,
it nests on the ground, and unlike most other Warblers, shows a
strong preference for fields and road-sides, where it may be found
hopping along with the Sparrows, and flirting its tail like a Titlark,
The song is a very simple affair, — a few sweet notes.
Norte. — The PALM WARBLER (Dendroica palmarum) differs
from hyfochrysea in being smaller and much duller colored. It
breeds in Manitoba and northward, and winters in the Southern
States. A few examples have been seen in the Eastern States.
AUDUBON’S WARBLER (Dendroica audubont), though a bird of
the Western Plains, has a right to mention here through examples
having been taken in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
YELLOW WARBLER.
SUMMER YELLOW BIRD. SUMMER WARBLER.
DENDROICA ASTIVA.
Cuar. Male: general color golden yellow, upper parts tinged with
olive ; breast and sides streaked with orange brown. Female: similar,
but upper parts with deeper tinge of olive, and under parts with less
streaks. Length 4% to 5% inches.
Vest. On a bush or low tree, in a garden or open pasture; gracefully
formed and compactly woven, of various vegetable fibres, — grass, stems,
etc., — usually lined with hair or plant down, sometimes with feathers.
£ggs. 3-5; dull white or greenish white, marked chiefly around the
larger end with brown and lilac; 0.65 X 0.45.
This very common and brilliant summer species is found in
all parts of the American continent, from the confines of the
Arctic circle to Florida and Texas, as well as Oregon and the
Rocky Mountains, where it spends the mild season. About
the middle of March I already heard the song amidst the
PIE:
4:.Parula Warbler.
5. Blackburnian. Warbler.
6 .Black-Throated Green Warbler.
. Gerulean Warbler.
. Prairie Warbler.
_ Yellow Warbler.
Come oa
YELLOW WARBLER. 221
early blooming thickets and leafy woods of the Altamaha; but
the birds do not arrive in Pennsylvania and this part of New
England before the rst of May. About the close of August in
the Northern, and by the middle of September in the Central
States of the Union, or as soon as their second brood are capa-
ble of joining the migrating host, they disappear, probably in
the twilight, and wing their way by easy stages to their trop-
ical destination, passing through Louisiana in October and
appearing at length about Vera Cruz, whence they spread their
numerous host through tropical America to Guiana, Cayenne,
St. Domingo, and other of the larger contiguous islands of the
West Indies.
This is a very lively, unsuspicious, and almost familiar little
bird, and its bright golden color renders it very conspicuous,
as in pursuit of flitting insects it pries and darts among the
blooming shrubs and orchards. It is particularly attached to
willow-trees and other kinds in moist and shady situations, that
afford this and other species a variety of small larve and cater-
pillars, on which they delight to feed. While incessantly and
busily employed it occasionally mounts the twig, and with a
loud, shrill, and almost piercing voice it earnestly utters, at short
and irregular intervals, —’¢sh’ tsh’ 'tsh’ 'tsh’ ' tshaia, or tshe tshe
tsh tshayia tshe tshe; this last phrase rather plaintive and inter-
rogatory, as if expecting the recognition of its mate. Some-
times, but particularly after the commencement of incubation,
a more extended and pleasingly modulated song is heard, as se
ze te tshitshoo, or tsh’ tsh’ tsh’ tsheetshoo, 'tshe ’tshe 'tshe ’tshoo
*peetshee, and ’tshe 'tshe'tshe’tshe'tshaia ’tship 6 way ; the ter-
mination tender, plaintive, and solicitous. I have heard this
note also sometimes varied to ‘soit ’soit soit soit ’tship a wee.
The female sometimes sings nearly as well as the male, partic-
ularly about the time she is engaged in fabricating her nest.
Although the song of these birds may be heard, less vigorously,
to the month of August, yet they do not here appear to raise
more than a single brood.
The nest, in Massachusetts, is commonly fixed in the forks
of a barberry bush, close shrub, or sapling, a few feet from the
222 SINGING BIRDS.
ground ; at ocher times, I have known the nest placed upon the
horizontal branch of a hornbeam, more than 15 feet from
the ground, or even 50 feet high in the forks of a thick sugar-
maple or orchard tree. These lofty situations are, however,
extraordinary; and the little architects, in instances of this
kind, sometimes fail of giving the usual security to their habita-
tion. The nest is extremely neat and durable ; the exterior is
formed of layers of Asclepfias, or silk-weed lint, glutinously
though slightly attached to the supporting twigs, mixed with
some slender strips of fine bark and pine leaves, and thickly
bedded with the down of willows, the nankeen-wool of the Vir-
ginian cotton-grass, the down of fern-stalks, the hair from the
downy seeds of the buttonwood (/latanus), or the pappus of
compound flowers; and then lined either with fine-bent grass
(Agrostis), or down, and horse-hair, and rarely with a few acci-
dental feathers. Circumstances sometimes require a variation
from the usual habits of the species. In a garden in Roxbury,
in the vicinity of Boston, I saw a nest built in a currant-bush,
in a small garden very near to the house; and as the branch
did not present the proper site of security, a large floor of dry
grass and weeds was first made betwixt it and a contiguous
board fence ; in the midst of this mass of extraneous materials,
the small nest was excavated, then lined with a considerable
quantity of white horse-hair, and finished with an interior bed
of soft cow-hair. The season proving wet and stormy, the
nest in this novel situation fell over, but was carried, with the
young to a safe situation near the piazza of the house, where
the parents now fed and reared their brood. The labor of
forming the nest seems often wholly to devolve on the female.
On the roth of May I observed one of these industrious matrons
busily engaged with her fabric in a low barberry bush, and by
the evening of the second day the whole was completed, to the
lining, which was made, at length, of hair and willow down, of
which she collected and carried mouthfuls so large that she
often appeared almost like a mass of flying cotton, and far ex-
ceeded in industry her active neighbor, the Baltimore, who
was also engaged in collecting the same materials. Notwith-
YELLOW WARBLER. 223
standing this industry, the completion of the nest, with this and
other small birds, is sometimes strangely protracted or not im-
mediately required. Yet occasionally I have found the eggs
of this species improvidently laid on the ground. It is amus-
ing to observe the sagacity of this little bird in disposing of the
eggs of the vagrant and parasitic Cow Troopial. The egg, de-
posited before the laying of the rightful tenant, too large for
ejectment, is ingeniously incarcerated in the bottom of the
nest, and a new lining placed above it, so that it is never
hatched to prove the dragon of the brood. Two instances of
this kind occurred to the observation of my friend Mr. Charles
Pickering ; and in 1833 I obtained a nest with the adventi-
tious egg about two thirds buried, the upper edge only being
visible, so that in many instances it is probable that this spe-
cies escapes from the unpleasant imposition of becoming a
nurse to the sable orphan of the Cow Bird. She however
acts faithfully the part of a foster-parent when the egg is laid
after her own.
I have heard of two instances in which three of the Yellow
Bird’s own eggs were covered along with that of the Cow
Blackbird. In a third, after a Blackbird’s egg had been thus
concealed, a second was laid, which was similarly treated, thus
finally giving rise to a three-storied nest.
The Summer Yellow Bird, to attract attention from its nest,
when sitting, or when the nest contains young, sometimes
feigns lameness, hanging its tail and head, and fluttering feebly
along, in the path of the spectator; at other times, when cer-
tain that the intrusion had proved harmless, the bird would
only go off a few feet, utter a feeble complaint, or remain
wholly silent, and almost instantly resume her seat. The male,
as in many other species of the genus, precedes a little the arri-
val of his mate. Towards the latter end of summer the young
and old feed much on juicy fruits, as mulberries, cornel berries,
and other kinds.
224 SINGING BIRDS,
t
MAGNOLIA WARBLER.
BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER.
DENDROICA MACULOSA.
CHAR. Male: upper parts:black, the feathers edged with olive; rump
yellow; crown ash, bordered by black and white; beneath, rich yellow,
thickly spotted on breast and sides with black; white patch on wings
and on all but middle tail feathers. Female: similar, but colors duller,
and back sometimes entirely olive. Length 5% inches.
Vest. On a horizontal branch of spruce or fir, usually 3 to 6 feet from
the ground, but sometimes higher ; made of twigs and grass, lined with
fine black roots.
Eggs. 4-5; creamy white, spotted with lilac and several shades of
brown ; 0.60 X 0.50.
This rare and beautiful species is occasionally seen in very
small numbers in the Southern, Middle, and Northern States, in
the spring season, on its way to its Northern breeding-places.
In Massachusetts I have seen it in this vicinity about the mid-
dle of May. Its return to the South is probably made through
the western interior, — a route so generally travelled by most of
our birds of passage at this season; in consequence of which
they are not met with, or but very rarely, in the Atlantic States
in autumn. In this season they have been seen at sea off the
island of Jamaica, and have been met with also in Hispaniola,
whither they retire to pass the winter. Like all the rest of the
genus, stimulated by the unquiet propensity to migrate, they
pass only a few days with us, and appear perpetually employed
in pursuing or searching out their active insect prey or larve ;
and while thus engaged, utter only a few chirping notes. The
Magnolia has a shrill song, more than usually protracted on the
approach of wet weather, so that the Indians bestow upon it
the name of Rain Bird. According to Audubon, many of
these birds breed in Maine and the British Provinces, as well
as in Labrador, and extend their summer residence to the
banks of the Saskatchewan. They have also a clear and sweetly
modulated song.
Although rare in the United States, it appears, according to
Richardson, that this elegant species is a common bird on the
MAGNOLIA WARBLER. 225
banks of the Saskatchewan, where it is as familiar as the com-
mon Summer Yellow Bird (.S. @stiva), which it also resembles
closely in its manners and in its breeding station, but is gifted
with a more varied and agreeable song. It frequents the
thickets of young spruce-trees and willows, flitting from branch
to branch, at no great distance from the ground, actively en-
gaged in the capture of winged insects, which now constitute
its principal fare.
The Magnolia is not so rare a bird as Nuttall supposed, — indeed,
it is common everywhere between the Atlantic and the eastern
base of the Rockies, breeding in northern New England and in
the northern portions of New York, Ohio, and Michigan, and
thence to Labrador and Great Slave Lake. It also breeds “ south-
ward along the crests of the Alleghanies to Pennsylvania”
(Chapman).
It winters in Central America, Cuba, and the Bahamas.
In its habits this bird combines the Creeper and the Flycatcher
in true Warbler fashion, picking insects and larve from the cran-
nies of the bark and from the leaves, and capturing on the wing the
flying mites. The favorite nesting site is the border of a wood
or an open pasture, though I have found nests in the deep forest,
usually on the margin of an open glade.
The song is Warbler-like in its simplicity, yet is an attractive
melody, the tones sweet and musical.
Nuttall’s idea that the autumn route of migration taken by more
northern breeding birds lies somewhere to the westward of New
England, is not consistent with more recent observation ; for while
it is true that large numbers follow the valley of the Mississippi, —
some of them crossing to the Atlantic when south of the Allegha-
nies, —it has also been ascertained that immense flights of birds
that breed in the interior go southward along the coast-line. Many
species that are not seen in New England during the spring migra-
tion are abundant in the autumn.
VOL. I. — 15
226 SINGING BIRDS.
CAPE MAY WARBLER.
DENDROICA TIGRINA.
CuHar. Male: back yellowish olive, with darker spots; crown blackish;
ear-patch chestnut; line from bill around the eyes black; rump yellow,
wing-bars white and fused into one large patch; white blotches on three
pairs of tail-feathers; beneath, yellow tinged with orange on chin and
throat, spotted with black on breast and sides. Female: similar, but
back grayish, and lacking distinctive marking on head ; under parts paler ;
spots on wings and tail smaller or obscure. Length about 5 inches.
Nest. Ina pasture or open woodland, on low branch of small tree; a
neat, cup-shaped structure, partially pensile, composed of twigs and grass
fastened with spider’s webbing, lined with horse-hair.
Eggs. 3-43 dull white or buffy, slightly specked, and wreathed around
larger end with spots of brown and lilac; 0.70 X 0.50.
This very rare Warbler has only been seen near the swamps
of Cape May by Edward Harris, Esq.; near Moorestown, in
New Jersey; and in the vicinity of Philadelphia, about the
middle of May, — probably as a straggler on its way to some
Northern breeding-place. Its notes and further history are yet
unknown.
Since Nuttall wrote, we have learned a little more of the life his-
tory of this feathered beauty, though our knowledge of the bird’s
habits is still very limited. So rare is the bird that examples adorn
but few collections ; yet it has been seen occasionally throughout the
Eastern States, and is reported by Thompson as “ plentiful” along
the Red River, in Manitoba. It has been traced north to Hudson
Bay, and south (in winter) to the West Indies. The southern limit
of its breeding area is probably about the 45th parallel. The nest
has been found by Mr. H. B. Bailey at Umbagog Lake, in Maine,
and by Mr. James W. Banks near St. John, N. B.
Banks’s nest, which I had the privilege of examining, was com-
pletely hidden amid the dense foliage of a clump of cedars, growing
on an open hill-side, and quite close to a much-used thoroughfare.
When first discovered it was unfinished, and the female was at
work upon it. The male never appeared, nor was he heard in the
vicinity, though the spot was visited frequently. After four eggs
had been laid, female, nest, and eggs were “ gathered.”
The species had not been observed before near St. John, though
Mr. Boardman had reported taking examples at St. Stephen’s, and
I had seen several at Edmundston, near the Quebec border.
CANADIAN WARBLER, 227
The Edmundston birds were seen in early June, and those secured
proved to be males. As they sang with great frequency, they were
easily discovered, and were invariably found amid the top branches
of high spruce and fir trees on the crest of a hill. We were anxious
to obtain a nest, and of course hunted through these high branches,
little thinking that this coterie of Benedicts were making holiday
while their industrious but neglected spouses were attending to
housekeeping affairs down yonder in the valley. We learned the
song, however, and discovered that its theme resembled somewhat
the simple lay of the Nashville, though the voice is neither so
full nor so sweet, recalling rather the thin, wiry tones of the Black
and White Creeper.
CANADIAN WARBLER.
SYLVANIA CANADENSIS.
CuHar. Male: above, bluish ash; crown marked with black; line
from bill around the eyes, yellow; line from beneath the eyes to sides of
breast black ; under parts yellow spotted with black, the spots forming a
line or crescent across the breast; throat unspotted. Female and young:
similar but lacking black on head; crescent on breast less distinct.
Length 5 to 534 inches.
Nest. On the ground, sometimes near border of a stream or by a moist
meadow, placed on side of mound or among upturned roots of a tree ; com-
posed of grass and stems, lined with hair.
Eggs. 4-5; white or creamy, spotted, chiefly around the larger end,
with brown and lilac ; 0.70 X 0.50.
This is a rare summer species in the Atlantic States, appear-
ing singly, and for a few days only, on the passage north or
south in the spring or autumn. These birds breed in Canada
and Labrador, and are more abundant in mountainous interior,
—the route by which they principally migrate. They winter
in the tropical regions, are then silent, and, like the rest of
their tribe, very active in darting through the branches after
insects.
Audubon found this species breeding in the Great Pine
Forest of the Pokono in Pennsylvania, as well as in Maine, the
British Provinces, and Labrador. ‘They have a short, unattrac-
tive note in the spring, and in the mountains where they dwell
they have a predilection for the shady borders of streams where
laurels grow.
228 SINGING BIRDS.
The Canadian Warbler is common during the migrations, from
the Atlantic to the Mississippi, and though breeding chiefly north of
43°, some pairs nest in Massachusetts, New York, southern Ontario,
and Illinois. It has been taken in Labrador and is common in
Manitoba. It winters in Central America.
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER.
DENDROICA DOMINICA.
Cuar. Above, grayish ash; forehead and sides of head, black; line
from nostril to. hind neck, yellow; patch on side of neck, white; wing-
bars white; outer tail feathers with white patches; beneath, yellowish
white; chin and throat rich yellow; sides streaked with black. Length
434 to 534 inches.
Vest. Inan open grove or the edge of heavy woods, on top of horizontal
branch or at the forks of a limb, or “‘ concealed in pendant moss,” 20 to go
feet from the ground ; made of grass-weed stems, strips of bark, and moss,
lined with vegetable fibre, horse-hair, or feathers.
Egys. 3-5; white, tinged with green, spotted around the larger end
with brown and lilac; 0.70 X 0.50.
These elegant and remarkable birds reside in the West
Indies, and also migrate in considerable numbers into the
southern parts of the United States, particularly Louisiana and
Georgia, whence indeed they only absent themselves in the
two inclement months of December and January. They are
seen in February in Georgia, but very rarely venture as far
north as Pennsylvania. The song is pretty loud and agreeable,
according to Latham and Wilson, resembling somewhat the
notes of the Indigo Bird. In the tropical countries they inhabit,
this delicate music is continued nearly throughout the year,
and participated also by the female, though possessed of in-
ferior vocal powers. The bird appears to have many of the
habits of the Creeping Warbler (S. varia), running spirally
around the trunks of the pine-trees, on which it alights, and
ascending or descending in the active search of its insect
fare.
The sagacity displayed by this bird in the construction and
situation of its nest is very remarkable. This curious fabric is
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER. 229
suspeuided to a kind of rope which hangs from tree to tree,
usually depending from branches that bend over rivers or
ravines. ‘The nest itself is made of dry blades of grass, the
ribs of leaves, and slender root-fibrés, the whole interwoven
together with great art; it is also fastened to, or rather worked
into, the pendant strings made of the tough silky fibres of some
species of Zchiées, or other plant of that family. It is, in fact,
a small circular bed, so thick and compact as to exclude the
rain, left to rock in the wind without sustaining or being ac-
cessible to any injury. The more securely to defend this
precious habitation from the attacks of numerous enemies, the
opening, or entrance, is neither made on the top nor the side,
but at the bottom; nor is the access direct, for after passing
the vestibule, it is necessary to go over a kind of partition, and
through another aperture, before it descends into the guarded
abode of its eggs and young. This interior lodgment is round
and soft, being lined with a kind of lichen, or the silky down
of plants.
This species is confined chiefly to the South Atlantic States,
though occasionally a few wander to New York, Connecticut,
and Massachusetts. It winters in Florida and Central America.
Note. — The SYCAMORE WARBLER (D. dominica albilora)
differs from the type in being smaller (length 4% to 5% inches)
and in having the line over the eyes whzte, instead of yellow. It
occurs along the Mississippi valley north to southern Illinois and
eastward to Ohio, where it is common, and has been taken also in
South Carolina and Florida.
It winters in Central America.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER.
DENDROICA VIRENS.
Cuar. Male in spring: above, bright olive; line on sides of head rich
yellow ; wings and tail dusky; wing-bars and outer tail-feathers white ;
beneath, white tinged with yellow; throat and chest rich black. Male in
autumn, female, and young: similar, but black of throat mixed with
yellow, sometimes obscured. Length 5 to 514 inches.
Nest. On the border of heavy woods, in fork of coniferous tree 30 to
50 feet from the ground; of twigs, grass, etc., lined with hair and down.
Eggs. 3-4; white or creamy white wreathed around larger end with
spots of brown and lilac; 0.65 X 0.50.
This rather rare species arrives from its tropical winter-
quarters in Pennsylvania towards the close of April or begin-
ning of May. About the 12th of the latter month it is seen in
this part of Massachusetts ; but never more than a single pair
are seen together. At this season a silent individual may be
occasionally observed, for an hour at a time, carefully and ac-
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 231
tively searching for small caterpillars and winged insects amidst
the white blossoms of the shady apple-tree ; and so inoffensive
and unsuspicious is the little warbler that he pursues without
alarm his busy occupation, as the spectator within a few feet of
him watches at the foot of the tree. Early in October these
birds are seen in small numbers roving restlessly through the
forest, preparatory to their departure for the South.
Though the greater part of the species probably proceed
farther north to rear their young, a few spend the summer in
the Middle and Northern States; but from their timorous and
retiring habits it is not easy to trace out their retreats at the
period of breeding. In the summer of 1830, however, on the
8th of June, I was so fortunate as to find a nest of this species
in a perfectly solitary situation on the Blue Hills of Milton.
The female was now sitting, and about to hatch. The nest was
in a low, thick, and stunted Virginia juniper. When I ap-
proached near to the nest the female stood motionless on its
edge and peeped down in such a manner that I imagined her
to be a young bird. She then darted directly to the earth and
ran; but when, deceived, I sought her on the ground, she had
very expertly disappeared, and I now found the nest to con-
tain 4 roundish eggs, white, inclining to flesh-color, variegated,
more particularly at the great end, with pale, purplish points
of various sizes, interspersed with other large spots of brown
and blackish. The nest was formed of circularly entwined
fine strips of the inner bark of the juniper and the tough white
fibrous bark of some other plant, then bedded with soft feath-
ers of the Robin, and lined with a few horse-hairs and some
slender tops of bent-grass (Agrostis). The male was singing
his simple chant at the distance of a quarter of a mile from the
nest, and was now nearly in the same dark wood of tall oaks
and white pines in which I had first heard him a fortnight be-
fore. This simple, rather drawling, and somewhat plaintive
song, uttered at short intervals, resembled the syllables ’¢e dé
teritscd, sometimes fe derisca, pronounced pretty loud and
slow, and the tones proceeded from high to low. In the inter-
vals he was perpetually busied in catching small cynips and
232 ‘SINGING BIRDS.
other kinds of flies, keeping up a smart snapping of his bill,
almost similar to the noise made by knocking pebbles together.
This quaint and indolent ditty I have often heard before in
the dark and solitary woods of west Pennsylvania ; and here,
as there, it affords an agreeable relief in the dreary silence and
gloom of the thick forest. This note is very much like the
call of the Chicadee, and at times both are heard amidst
the reigning silence of the summer noon. In the whole dis-
trict of this extensive hill or mountain, in Milton, there ap-
peared to exist no other pair of these lonely Warblers but the
present. Another pair, however, had probably a nest in the
vicinity of the woods of Mount Auburn in Cambridge, and
in the spring of the present year (1831) several pairs of these
birds were seen for a transient period.
Nuttall was not the only one of the older writers who expressed
the opinion that this and other species of the family were less
abundant than more modern observers have found them. Wilson
and Audubon made similar statements.
This Warbler is now known to be a common bird throughout
these Eastern States, and may be found, in summer, in any coni-
ferous forest in Massachusetts, and thence northward to the fur-
countries and westward to the plains. It breeds also, sparingly, in
southern New England, northern Ohio, Illinois, etc., and “along
the Alleghanies to South Carolina,” and winters in the West Indies
and Central America.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER.
DENDROICA BLACKBURNIE.
Cuar. Male: above, black, back streaked with whitish ; sides of head
black; crown patch, line over eye, and entire throat and breast rich
orange or flame color ; belly yellowish white; sides streaked with black;
large white patches on wings; outer tail-feathers nearly all white. Fe-
male: similar, but black replaced by grayish brown, and orange by dull
yellow; white patches on wings and tail less conspicuous. Length 54
to 5% inches.
Nest. Usually in coniferous woods, saddled on horizontal limb of pine
or hemlock, 20 to 40 feet from the ground ; composed of twigs, roots, and
shreds of bark mixed with vegetable down, lined with feathers and hair.
Eggs. 4; white, often tinged with green, spotted, chiefly around
larger end, with brown and lilac; 0.70 X 0.50.
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. 233
The Blackburnian Warbler is one of the rarest and most
beautiful species of the genus, which from the rst to the 15th
of May, or sometimes later, pays a transient visit to the Middle
and Northern States, on its way to its remote boreal place of
retirement for the breeding season. It is still more rarely seen
in the autumn, about the month of September, in its passage
to tropical America, where it winters, as may be presumed, from
its occurrence late in autumn about Vera Cruz, according to
Mr. Bullock. It is an exceedingly nimble insect-hunter, keep-
ing towards the tops of trees, scarcely uttering even an audible
chirp, and at this season no song as far as is yet known.
On the Magdalene Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in
June, Audubon remarks that he heard the song of this beauti-
ful warbler, consisting of five or six loud notes, which it uttered
from the branches of a fir-tree while engaged in quest of its
prey. The nest found in Nova Scotia was made externally of
coarse materials and lined with silky fibres and delicate strips
of bark, over which lay a thick bed of feathers and horse-hair.
It was found in a small fork of a tree, 5 or 6 feet from the
ground, near a brook. Dr. Brewer also found a nest of this
species in Massachusetts.
The very rare adult of the Hemlock Warbler was found by
Wilson in the Great Pine Swamp in Pennsylvania, and ap-
peared to take up its residence in the dark hemlock-trees of
that desolate region. It was very lively and active, climbing
among the branches and hanging from the twigs like a Tit-
mouse. It darted after flies to a considerable distance, and
beginning with the lower branches, hunted with regularity up-
wards to the summit of the tree, and in this way it proceeded
very industriously to forage through the forest till satisfied. At
intervals it stopped an instant to warble out a few low and
sweet notes, probably for the recognition or company of its
mate, which the discoverer, however, did not see.
The nest of this species, according to Audubon, who discov-
ered it in the Great Pine Swamp, was made in a hemlock or
234° SINGING BIRDS,
spruce tree at a considerable elevation. Lichens, dry leaves of
the hemlock, and slender twigs formed the exterior; it was
then lined with hair or fur and the feathers of the Ruffed
Grouse. He afterwards met with this species in Maine and
Newfoundland.
Nothing is more remarkable in the history of this species
than the rarity of the adult and the abundance of the young
birds ; these last, which we have long known as the Autumnal
Warbler, appear in gregarious flocks in the larger solitary for-
ests of Massachusetts as early as the zoth of July, assembled
from the neighboring districts probably, in which they have
been reared. They remain there usually until the middle of
October, at which time they are also seen in the Middle
States. They feed on small insects and berries. Late in the
season, on a fine autumnal morning, troops of them may be
seen in the fields and lanes, sometimes descending to the
ground, and busily employed in turning over the new fallen
leaves, or perambulating and searching the chinks of the bark
of the trees, or the holes in the posts of the fence, in quest of
lurking moths and spiders; and while thus eagerly engaged,
they are occasionally molested or driven away by the more
legitimate Creepers or Nuthatches, whose jealousy they thus
arouse by their invasion. Earlier in the season they prey on
eynips, flies, and more active game, in pursuit of which they
may be seen fluttering and darting through the verdant boughs
of the forest trees. One of these little visitors, which I ob-
tained by its flying inadvertently into an’ open chamber, soon
became reconciled to confinement, flew vigorously after house-
flies, and fed greedily on grasshoppers and ivy berries (Cissus
hederacea) ; at length it became so sociable as to court my
acquaintance and eat from my hand. Before I restored it to
liberty, its occasional ‘weet attracted several of its companions
to the windows of its prison. At this time the bird is desti-
tute of song, and only utters a plaintive call of recognition.
Nuttall followed Wilson and Audubon in considering the young
Blackburnians a different species, naming it the ‘* Hemlock War-
bler.” I have given above Nuttall’s account of the two.
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, 235
The Blackburnian is rather common in the Atlantic States and
westward to the Plains, breeding chiefly north of 45°, and sparingly
in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and southward along the crests
of the Alleghanies. It winters from the Bahamas and eastern
Mexico southward.
Many Canadian observers have considered this Warbler rather
rare, but the opinion has probably arisen from the secluded habits
of the bird while in its summer home. It shows a preference for
the higher branches, and its favorite haunts are amid the deeper
forests where the pine and hemlock flourish.
CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER.
DENDROICA PENNSYLVANICA,
Cuar. Male: back black, streaked with olive of grayish or yellowish
tint; crown yellow; sides of head white, enclosing a patch of black; sides
of neck and entire under parts white ; sides streaked with chestnut, which
extends from neck to flanks; wing-bars and blotches on tail white.
Female: similar, but colors duller. Young: upper parts bright olive;
wing-bars yellowish ; under parts white. Length 434 to 5% inches.
Jest. On the edge of an open woodland or the margin of a moist
meadow, in low tree or bush; composed of grass and strips of bark fas-
tened with insect silk, and lined with grass or leaves or hair.
£ggs. 4-5; white or creamy, spotted, chiefly around the larger end,
which is sometimes wreathed, with reddish brown and lilac ; 0.68 X 0.50.
This rare and beautiful Sylvia, which probably winters in
tropical America, appears in the Middle and Northern States
early in May on its way north to breed ; it is also seen in the
spring in Canada and around Hudson’s Bay. A few pairs re-
main, no doubt, to rear their young in secluded mountainous
situations in the Northern States, as on the 22d of May,
1830, a pair appeared to have fixed their summer abode
near the summit of the Blue Hills of Milton. The note of the
male was very similar to that of the Summer Yellow Bird, being
only a little louder, and less whistling; it resembles ’ésh ’¢sh
'tsh ‘tshyia, given at about an interval of half a minute, and
answered by his mate at some distance, near which, it is proba-
ble, there was a nest. He appeared to be no way suspicious
of our approach ; his restlessness was subdued, and he quietly
sat near the same low bushes, amusing himself and his consort,
for an hour at a time, with the display of his lively and simple
236 SINGING BIRDS.
ditty. On their first arrival, previous to pairing, these birds
are like the rest of the genus, restless, and intently engaged
in the chase of insects amidst the blossoms and tender leaves ;
they likewise pursue common and green bottle flies with avidity
and success. On the 27th of June, 1831, I observed a pair
selecting food for their young, with their usual address and
activity, by the margin of a bushy and secluded swamp on the
west side of Fresh Pond, in this vicinity; but I had not the
good fortune to discover the nest. I have, however, since, I
believe, discovered the nest of this bird, in a hazel copse in a
wood in Acton, in this State. It is fixed in the forked twigs of
a hazel about breast high. The fabric is rather light and airy,
being made externally of a few coarse blades and stalks of
dead grass, then filled in with finer blades of the same, the
whole matted and tied with caterpillar’s silk, and lined with
very slender strips of brown bark and similar white-pine leaves.
It appeared to have been forsaken before its completion, and
the eggs I have never seen.
In the woods around Farranville, on the Susquehanna,
within the range of the Alleghany chain, in the month of May,
1830, I saw and heard several males in full song, in the
shady forest trees by a small stream, and have no doubt of
their breeding in that situation, though I was not fortunate
enough to find a nest.
This species is now a common summer resident of New England
and the settled portions of Canada, and occurs westward to the
Plains. It breeds in numbers as far south as the fortieth parallel,
and regularly, though sparingly, on the elevated lands southward
to Georgia; is not an uncommon summer visitor to the Maritime
Provinces, and is quite common in Manitoba. It winters south-
ward to the Bahamas and Central America.
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 237
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER.
DENDROICA CASTANEA.
Cuar. Male back grayish olive, streaked with black ; forehead and
cheeks black; sides of neck buffy ; crown, throat, breast, and sides chest-
nut; remainder of under parts buffish; wing-bars and patches on tail
white. Female: above, olive streaked with black; beneath, buffy, sides
and breast tinged with dull rufous. Length 534 to 6 inches.
Vest. In an open woodland, on horizontal branch of coniferous tree
10 to 20 feet from the ground; of twigs, shreds of bark, grass roots, and
moss, lined with fine roots, moss, or pine-needles.
Eggs. 3-6 (usually 4); white, with blue tint, or bluish green, spotted
with reddish brown; 0.70 X 0.50.
This is a still rarer and more transient visitor than the last.
It arrives in Pennsylvania from the South some time in April
or about the beginning of May, and towards the 12th or 15th
of the same month it visits Massachusetts, but seldom stays
more than a week or ten days, and is very rarely seen on its
return in the autumn. Audubon once observed several in
Louisiana late in June, so that it probably sometimes breeds
in very secluded places without regularly proceeding to the
northern regions. It is an active insect-hunter, and keeps
much towards the tops of the highest trees, where it darts about
with great activity, and hangs from the twigs with fluttering
wings. One of these birds, which was wounded in the wing,
soon became reconciled to confinement, and greedily caught
and devoured the flies which I offered him; but from the
extent of the injury, he did not long survive. In habits and
manners, as well as markings, this species greatly resembles
the preceding.
This Warbler is exceptional in being more abundant in New
England in spring than in autumn. Mr. Mcllwraith reports that
the same rule obtains in Ontario, but Dr. Wheaton considered that
in Ohio the birds were more numerous during the autumn; and
these apparently conflicting statements suggest an interesting phase
in the question of migration routes.
The bird is common as a summer resident in the northern por-
tions of New England, New York, and Michigan, though rather rare
238 SINGING BIRDS.
in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. The most southern point
at which it has been found breeding is Chicarua, N. H., in lati-
tude 44°, where Mr. Frank Bolles obtained a nest in 1890. The spe-
cies ranges north to Hudson Bay, and south to Central America.
BLACK-POLL WARBLER.
DENDROICA STRIATA.
Cuar. Above, grayish olive thickly streaked with black; top of head
black ; cheeks and entire under parts white; sides streaked with black;
wing-bars and tail-patches white. Length 5% to 53{ inches.
Nest. Inan evergreen forest on low branch (sometimes on the ground) ;
of grass, roots, twigs, and lichens; lined with grass covered with white
feathers.
Lggs. 4-5; white, with various tints (usuaily pale pink or creamy),
more or less spotted with reddish brown and lilac, —often dark brown
and olive gray; 0.75 X 0.55-
This rather common and well-marked species is observed to
arrive in Pennsylvania from the South about the 2oth of April,
but in Massachusetts hardly before the middle of May; it re-
turns early in September, and appears to feed wholly on insects.
In the Middle States it is confined chiefly to the woods, where,
in the summits of the tallest trees, it is seen in busy pursuit of
its favorite prey. On its first arrival it keeps usually in the
tops of the maples, darting about amidst the blossoms. As
the woods become clothed with leaves, it may be found pretty
generally as a summer resident ; it often also seeks the banks
of creeks and swamps, in which situations it probably passes the
breeding season. In this vicinity the Black-poll is a familiar
visitor in the lowest orchard-trees, where it feeds on canker-
worms and other small caterpillars, as well as flies of different
kinds, etc. At this time, towards the month of June, it is no
longer a restless wanderer, but having fixed upon its station for
the summer, it now begins, in a humble way, to display its
musical talents in the cherished and constant company of its
faithful mate. This note, uttered at intervals of half a minute,
is like the sound of ¢sh’ ¢sh tsh tshé tshé, from low to high, but
PINE WARBLER, 239
altogether so shrill and slender as to sound almost like the
faint filing of a saw. This species extends its migrations to
Newfoundland, according to Pennant. In the month of
June, Audubon found the nest in Labrador placed about
3 feet from the ground, in the fork of a small branch, close
to the main stem of a fir-tree. It was formed of green and
white moss and lichens, intermixed with coarse dried grass ;
within this was a layer of bent-grass, the lining, of dark-colored
dry moss, looked like horse-hair, and was arranged in a circu-
lar direction with great care; lastly was a thick bed of large
soft feathers, — some of them were from Ducks, but most of
them from the Willow Grouse. It contained 4 eggs.
The Black-poll breeds sparingly in northern New England, New
Brunswick, and northern Michigan, building chiefly beyond the
Laurentian hills, in Quebec and Ontario; though Dr. L. B. Bishop
found it breeding in numbers on the Magdalen Islands, and Mr.
J. P. Norris took a number of nests on Grand Menan. It ranges
northward to the Barren Grounds and to Alaska, and winters in
northern South America.
PINE WARBLER.
DENDROICA VIGORSII.
Cuar. Above, olive ; beneath, yellow, paler (or white) on belly ; wing-
bars and blotches on outer tail-feathers, white. Length 5% to 53¢
inches.
Nest. Usually in evergreen woods, on horizontal bough of pine or
cedar 30 or 4o feet from the ground; of weed stems, shreds of bark,
and leaves fastened with insect silk, lined with hair and feathers.
£ggs. 4-5; dull white or gray, spotted with brown and lilac; 0.70
X 0.50.
This common species, to the commencement of winter, in-
habits all parts of the United States, and probably extends
its northern migrations to the forests of Newfoundland. It
arrives in Pennsylvania at the close of March and beginning of
April, and soon after is seen in all parts of New England,
amidst the pine and juniper forests, in which it principally
240 SINGING BIRDS.
resides. Both the old and young remain with us till nearly the
close of October ; stragglers have even been seen in mid-win-
ter in the latitude of 43°. In winter they rove through the
pine forests and barrens of the Southern States in companies
of 20 to 50 or more, alighting at times on the trunks of the
trees, and attentively searching them for lurking larve, but are
most frequently employed in capturing the small insects which
infest the opening buds of the pine, around which they may be
seen perpetually hovering, springing, or creeping, with restless
activity ; in this way they proceed, from time to time, foraging
through the forest; occasionally, also, they alight on the
ground in quest of worms and grubs of various kinds, or dart
irregularly after hovering flies, almost in the manner of the Fly-
catchers. In these states they are by far the most numerous of
all the Warblers. In the month of March they already began
to show indications for pairing, and jealous contests ensued
perpetually among the males. The principal body of the spe-
cies probably remain the year round in the Southern forests,
where I saw them throughout the winter; great numbers are
also bred in the Northern States. In summer their food is the
eggs and larve of various insects, as well as flies or cynips,
caterpillars, coleoptera, and ants. In autumn, the young fre-
quent the gardens, groves, and orchards, feeding likewise on
berries of various kinds, ason those of the cornel, wild grape,
and five-leaved ivy; at this season they are very fat, and fly and
forage in families. They now only utter a shrill and plaintive
chip. I have had a male Pine Warbler, domesticated for a
short time ; he fed gratefully, from the instant he was caught,
upon flies, small earthworms, and minced flesh, and was so
tame and artless as to sit contented on every hand, and
scarcely shift himself securely from my feet. On offering him
drink he walked directly into the vessel, without using the
slightest precaution or exhibiting any trace of fear. His ¢ship
and manner in all respects were those of the Autumnal
Warbler.
The song of the Pine Warbler, though agreeable, amidst the
dreary solitude of the boundless forests which he frequents, has
PINE WARBLER. 241
but little compass or variety ; sometimes it approaches the sim-
plest trill of the Canary, but it is commonly a reverberating,
gently rising, or murmuring sound, like ev ’7’7’r’r’r'r dh, or,
in the spring, ’¢we ’twe ’tw tw tw’ tw tw, and sometimes like
ash ish tsh tw tw’ tw tw 'tw ; when harkened to some time,
there is a variation in the cadence, which, though rather feeble
at a distance, is not unpleasant, as the little minstrel tunes his
pipe during the heat of the summer day, while he flits gently
and innocently fearless through the shady boughs of the pine or
cedar in perpetual quest of his untiring prey. This song is
commonly heard at a considerable distance from his mate and
nest, from whom he often widely strays, according to the suc-
cess of his precarious pursuit. As the sound of the warble
varies from slender to high or low, it is often difficult to dis-
cover the retreat of the little busy musician, which appears far
or near with the modulation of his almost ventriloquous note.
The female likewise tunes, at times, her more slender lay in
a wiry tone, almost like that of the S. varia, in early spring.
About the 7th of June, 1830, I discovered a nest of this
species in a Virginian juniper, near Mount Auburn, in this vicin-
ity, at the height of about 4o feet from the ground. It was
firmly fixed in the upright twigs of a close branch. The nest
was thin, but very neat ; the principal material was the wiry old
stems of the slender knot-weed (Podgonum tenue), circularly
interlaced, and connected externally with rough linty fibres of
some species of Asclepias, and blended with caterpillar’s webs.
The lining was made of a few hog’s bristles, slender root:fibres,
a mat of the down of fern-stalks, and one or two feathers of
the Robin’s breast, — a curious medley, but all answering the
pose of warmth and shelter for the expected brood. I saw
several of these nests, which had at different times been thrown
to the ground, and in all, the wiry grass and general material
were the same as in the one now described; and this, of
course, is entirely different from that given by Wilson on the
authority of Mr. Abbot. The nest there mentioned is nothing
more than the usual pendulous fabric of the Red-eyed Warbling
Flycatcher. The eggs in ours were 4, and, advanced towards
VOL. I. — 16
242 SINGING BIRDS.
hatching, they were white, with a slight tinge of green, very
full of small pale brown spots, somewhat more numerous
towards the larger end, where they appear connected or aggre-
gated around a purplish ground. The female made some little
complaint, but almost immediately resumed her seat, though 2
of the eggs were taken away; the male made off immediately,
and was but seldom seen near the place.
The Pine Warbler is a common summer resident of New Eng-
land, but I seldom saw it in New Brunswick, and can find no evi.
dence of its occurrence in Nova Scotia. Mr. Neilson thinks it
uncommon in the vicinity of Quebec city, and Mr. Mcllwraith
makes a similar report for Ontario, while Mr. Thompson reports
it common in Manitoba. It winters in the Southern States.
PRAIRIE WARBLER.
DENDROICA DISCOLOR.
Cuar. Above, olive; back with patch of red spots; forehead, line
over the eyes, wing-bars, and entire under parts rich yellow; black streak
on sides of head; sides spotted with black; 3 outer tail-feathers with
broad patches of white. Length 4% to 5 inches.
Nest. In open woodland or old meadow, on small tree or bush ; neatly
and compactly made of grass and vegetable fibre lined with hair or
feathers.
Zggs. 4-5; white, spotted around larger end with brown; 0.63 X
0.47.
These birds, rare in the Atlantic States, appear to be some-
what more common in the solitary barrens of Kentucky and
the open woods of the Choctaw country. Here they prefer the
open plains thinly covered with trees; and without betraying
alarm at the visits of a spectator, leisurely pursue their search
for caterpillars and small flies, examining among the leaves or
hopping among the branches, and at times descending pretty
near, and familiarly examining the observer, with a confidence
and curiosity seldom witnessed in these shy and retiring
species. Such was the conduct of a male bird in this vicinity,
on the 4th of June, whom I discovered by his slender filing
notes, which were uttered every half minute, and like those of
PRAIRIE WARBLER. 243
the Black-poll Warbler resembled the suppressed syllables ’¢sh
‘tsh th tshéa’, beginning low, and gradually growing louder,
having nearly the same slender whistle as that species, though
somewhat stronger. The pair were busily engaged collecting
flies and larve from a clump of young locust-trees in the woods
of Mount Auburn, and occasionally they flitted among the
Virginian junipers ; the familiar visit of the male appeared for
the purpose of discovering my intentions near the nest, about
which he was naturally solicitous, though he made his ap-
proaches with the appearance of accident. The female was
more timid ; yet while I was still engaged in viewing this little
interesting and secluded pair, she, without any precaution or
concealment, went directly to the nest in the forks of a low
barberry bush near by, and when there, she sat and looked at
me some time before she removed. She made, however, no
pretences to draw me away from the spot, where she was sit-
ting on 4 eggs, of which I took away 2; her approaches to the
nest were now more cautious, and she came escorted and en-
couraged by the presence of her mate. Two eggs were again
soon added, and the young brood, I believe, reared without
any accident.
The nest was scarcely distinguishable from that of the Sum-
mer Yellow Bird, and quite different from the nests described
by Wilson and Audubon. My opportunity for examination,
so long continued, seemed to preclude the possibility of error
in the investigation ; neither can I compare the slender note
of this species to any whirring sound, which would more
nearly approach to the song of the Pine Warbler. The Prairie
Warbler visits Cambridge about the first or second week in
May, and according to the observations of my friend Mr.
Cooper, is seen probably about the same time in the vicinity
of New York in small numbers and in pairs, and retires to
winter in the West Indies about the middle of September.
This species is now considered common in Massachusetts,
though it has not been taken farther northward. It occurs in
Michigan, but not in Ontario, and breeds southward to Florida
It winters in southern Florida and the West Indies.
PARULA WARBLER.
BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER.
COMPSOTHLYPIS AMERICANA.
CuHar. Male: above, bright ashy blue, an olive patch on the back;
throat and breast yellow, a patch of rich brown on the breast; belly
white; wings with 2 broad white bars; white patches on inner web of
outer tail-feathers. Female: similar, but colors duller and the patches on
back and breast obscure or absent. Length 4% to 434 inches.
est. In moist woodland or on border of swamp; usually in a bunch
of “ beard-moss ” (zszea) hanging from the trunk or branch of a tree 10
to 4o feet from the ground, and composed of threads of the moss and fine
grass or hair compactly woven; sometimes lined with pine-needles or
hair.
Eggs. 3-7 (usually 4); white or creamy, thickly spotted with several
shades of reddish brown ; 0.65 X 0.45.
This remarkable species visits the Middle and Northern
States about the rst to the 15th of May, and is seen again
early in October on its way to the West Indies (St. Domingo
and Porto Rico), whither it retires at the approach of winter.
A few, according to Catesby, pass the whole year in South Car-
olina. It is very abundant in the summer in the woods of
Kentucky, is active and restless on its first arrival, and fre-
quents the summits of the highest trees, being particularly
fond of the small caterpillars and flies of various kinds which
are, in the early part of spring, attracted to the open blossoms
and tender shoots. It also possesses in some degree the
creeping and prying habits of the Titmouse, to which genus it
it was referred by Linnzus and Pennant. Entering the south-
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER. 245
ern extremity of the Union by the first approach of spring, it
is now seen searching for its insect food on shrubs and plants
in moist places, by the borders of Jakes and streams. In this
vicinity it is not common; but as it was singing as late as the
22d of May in the woody solitude of the Blue Hills of
Milton, it must undoubtedly breed there.
The notes of this species resemble those of the Prairie
Warbler in some respects, though sufficiently different; the
tones, rising from low to high, are rather weak and insignificant.
In Nuttall’s day this dainty bird was named “ Party-colored War-
bler ” and “ Finch Creeper.” It is a rather common summer resi-
dent in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, and breeds
northward to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The nests have been
found also in northern Ohio and southern IJlinois, and in winter
the birds range through southern Florida and among the more
northern West Indies.
The Parula is associated in my mind with secluded woods on
cool and shaded hill-sides bordering a stream, and the song comes
to me from amid the top branches of tall trees, — birch and poplar.
It is an attractive song, though it has little theme,— merely a
rapid trill of some twenty sibilant notes delivered with a rising in-
flection ; but the tones are sweet, and the effect is pleasing. The
song is clearly an outburst of joyous emotion.
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER.
DENDROICA CRULESCENS.
CuaAR. Male: above, dull blue, back sometimes streaked with black ;
sides of head, throat, and chest rich black; remainder of under parts
white; white spot on wing; tail with large white blotches. Female:
above, dull olive; beneath, dull greenish yellow; white spot on wing.
Length 5 to 5% inches.
Vest. In deep woods amid thick underbrush or on high branch; of
grass, twigs, vines, and lichens, fastened with insect silk, lined with roots
and hair.
£ggs. 3-5; white, with green or buff tint, often, when fresh, tinged
with rosy, marked with large spots of reddish brown; 0.70 X 0.50.
Of this uncommon species we know very little. It appears
only as a transient visitor in the month of April, in the Middle
246 SINGING BIRDS.
States, and after staying to feed for a week or ten days, it
proceeds to its northern breeding-place in the wilds of Canada,
of which we are wholly ignorant. In November I have ob-
served a few on their return to the South, and according to
Vieillot, they winter in St. Domingo and other of the larger
West India islands.
Near Farranville, on the Susquehanna, within the range of
the Alleghany Mountains, in the month of May, I saw and
heard several pairs of this rare species in the shady hemlock-
trees. The males were uttering their slender, wiry, and very
peculiar notes, while busily engaged in foraging for insects,
and seemed, by being paired, to prepare for incubation.
The Pine Swamp Warbler (Sylvia sphagnosa) is now consid-
ered only as the young of this species, of which, however, I
think there yet remains some doubt.
The history of this species need no longer remain a mystery, for
while not abundant, its nesting habits may be studied in any suita-
ble locality in northern New England or northern New York, and
westward to the Plains, or along the higher altitudes of the Alle-
ghanies as far down as Georgia; though the major portion of the
flocks pass on to the Canadian faunal area before stopping to build.
I did not meet with many examples in New Brunswick, and Mr.
Neilson thinks it rare near Quebec city; but Mr. Wintle calls it
common near Montreal, and the Ontario observers also regard it
as common. It winters in Florida as well as in the West Indies.
KENTUCKY WARBLER.
GEOTHLYPIS FORMOSA.
CwHar. Above, olive; crown and sides of head and neck, black; line
from nostril to and around the eye yellow; beneath, yellow, the sides
shaded with olive. Length 5% to 534 inches.
Vest. On the ground, in rather thick woods ; a bulky affair of loosely
laid leaves and grass, lined with vegetable down, roots, or hair.
Eggs. 4-6; white or creamy, spotted with lilac and several shades of
brown; 0.73 X 0.56.
This beautiful species, first described by Wilson, frequents,
the dark forests of the southwestern parts of the Union, being
CERULEAN WARBLER. 247
particularly abundant in Louisiana, and not uncommon in Ken-
tucky and Tennessee, and from thence inhabiting throughout
the country to the estuaries of the Mississippi. It frequents
low, damp woods and the desolate borders of the lagoons,
cane-brakes, and swamps near the banks of the great rivers.
It arrives in Kentucky about the middle of April, but enters
the southern extremity of the Union from Mexico by the same
time in March, and by the middle of September retires south
of the United States. ‘The males are very pugnacious in the
pairing season of spring, and utter some loud notes, in threes,
resembling the sound of '¢weedle tweedle tweedle. ‘The nest is
often attached to stems of stout weeds, or placed in a tuft of
grass. It is made of the dry bark of herbaceous plants, mixed
with downy substances, and lined with the cotton of the seed
of the wild poplar. The species is scarcely known to the east
of North Carolina.
In the A. O. U. check-list the habitat of this species is given as
“ Eastern United States, west to the Plains, and north to southern
New England and southern Michigan. In winter, West Indies
and Central America.” It is most abundant along the Mississippi
valley, and has been seen but rarely east of the Alleghanies.
There is only one record of its occurrence in New England, —a pair
taken in 1876, at Suffield, Conn. Mr. John Neilson reports that a
pair were frequently seen by him near the city of Quebec during
the early part of July, 1879.
Those who have heard the song pronounce it an attractive
melody, the tones being loud and clear and the theme pleasing.
Mr. Wm. Brewster ranks it among the best of the Sylvicoline per-
formances.
CERULEAN WARBLER.
BLUE WARBLER.
DENDROICA CARULEA.
CHAR. Male: above, bright azure blue; sides of head and back
streaked with black; line of dusky blue through the eyes; wings with
two white bars; all tail feathers but inner pair patched with white; be-
neath, white; breast and sides streaked with dusky blue. Female:
similar but upper parts tinged with olive, and under parts tinged with
yellow. Length 4% to 5 inches.
Nest In open woodland, on horizontal bough 30 to so feet from the
248 SINGING BIRDS.
ground; of grass and lichens fastened with insect silk, lined with fine
grass.
£ges. 4; white with green or blue tint, spotted chiefly around the
larger end with reddish brown and lilac; 0.70 X 0.53.
This very delicately colored species is among the rarest
summer residents of the Atlantic States, and does not probably
migrate or rather stray farther north than the State of New
York. In the Southwestern States, particularly Tennessee and
West Florida, it is one of the most abundant species ; it is also
found in the western wilderness beyond the Mississippi. It is
only in the summer that it ventures into the Middle States,
from which it retires almost before the first chills of autumn, or
by the middle of August. It frequents the borders of streams
and marshes, and possesses many of the habits of the Fly-
catchers, warbling also at times in a lively manner, and
though its song be short, it is at the same time sweet and
mellow.
The principal range of this daintily dressed songster is through
the southwestern division of this Eastern Province, between the
valley of the Mississippi and the Alleghanian hills, north to Ohio
(where it is abundant), southern Ontario, Indiana, and Illinois.
It occasionally wanders eastward to central New York, Rhode
Island, and Connecticut.
Nuttall copied Audubon when characterizing the song of this
species as “sweet and mellow.”
Wilson, who discovered the bird and named it the Blue-green
Warbler, described the note as “a feeble chirp.” Between the
opposed opinions of these fathers of American ornithology comes
the report of a recent observer, Mr. William Brewster, who found
the species abundant in West Virginia. ‘“ At best it is a modest
little strain, and far from deserving the encomium passed upon it
by Audubon ;” and again, ‘“ The song is a guttral trill much like
that of the Blue Yellow-backed Warbler.”
MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT.
GEOTHLYPIS TRICHAS.
CuHar. Above, olive, duller on the head, brighter on rump; fore-
head and broad band on side of head black, with whitish border ; beneath
rich yellow, paler on the belly. Length 434 to 5% inches.
Nest, Hidden by tuft of grass, or amid thicket of briers, usually in a
moist woodland or on border of swamp; composed exteriorly of loosely
laid grass, twigs, etc., lined with fine grass compactly woven.
Eggs. 4-6; white, sometimes creamy, spotted around larger end with
brown and lilac ; often a few black spots and lines ; 0.70 X 0.52.
This common and familiar species extends its summer mi-
grations from Florida to Nova Scotia, arriving in Pennsylvania
towards the middle of April, and in this part of New England
about the first week in May. The majority return to the South
in September ; a few stragglers of the young, however, may be
seen to the first week in October, and though some may re-
main and winter in the Southern States, it is more probable
that the main body retire at this season into the interior of
tropical America, as they were seen late in autumn around
Vera Cruz by the naturalist and traveller Mr. Bullock. Early
in the month of March, however, I heard this species singing
in the forests of West Florida.
The Maryland Yellow-Throat, with cheerful devotedness to the
great object of his summer migration, — the attachments and
cares of his species, — passes his time near some shady rill of
water, amidst briers, brambles, alders, and such other shrubbery
as grows in low and watery situations. Unambitious to be seen,
250 SINGING BIRDS.
he seldom ascends above the tops of the underwood, where he
dwells, busily employed in collecting the insects on which he
feeds. After these, like the Wren, he darts into the deepest
thicket, and threads his devious way through every opening ;
he searches around the stems, examines beneath the leaves,
and raising himself on his peculiarly pale and slender legs,
peeps into each crevice in order to seize by surprise his tiny
lurking prey. While thus engaged, his affection to his neigh-
boring mate is not forgotten, and with a simplicity, agreeable
and characteristic, he twitters forth at short intervals his
‘whititetee 'whititetee 'whititetee, but his more common song is
‘whittitshee 'whitittshee, or 'wetitshee wetitshee wee ; and some-
times I have heard his note like, ’wet/tshee wetitshee, ’wit'yu
we. On this last syllable a plaintive sinking of the voice ren-
ders the lively, earnest ditty of the active minstrel peculiarly
agreeable. Copying apparently from the Cardinal Bird, the
song was, in one instance, which came to my notice, ’vitiyu
‘vitiyu "vitiya. The whole is likewise often varied and lowered
into a slender whisper, or tender revery of vocal instinct.
Sometimes he calls out, deetshoo, teetshoo, and sewaidédit
Sewaidédit sewaiditsewee, or sewaididit sewaiditsiwee, as he
busily darts through the blooming and odor-breathing shrubs
of the grove or garden, which he examines with minute atten-
tion, and sometimes springs perpendicularly after his retreating
and discovered prey. He appears by no means shy or sus-
picious, as long as his nest is unapproached ; but for the safety
of that precious treasure he scolds, laments, and entreats with
great anxiety.
The species generally nest in the recluse thickets of the
forest, or the low bushy meadow; but sometimes they take up
their abode in the garden, or the field contiguous to the house,
and if undisturbed, show a predilection for the place which
has afforded security to themselves and their young. They
commence their labor of building about the middle of May,
fixing the nest on or near the ground, among dry leaves,
withered grass, or brush, and choose often for security the most
intricate thicket of briers, so that the nest is often sheltered
MOURNING WARBLER. 251
and concealed by projecting weeds and grass. Sometimes a
mere tussuck of grass or accidental pile of brush is chosen.
It is made of dry sedge-grass (Carex), and a few leaves loosely
wound together and supported by the weeds or twigs where it
rests ; the lining consists entirely of fine bent-grass (Agrostis).
The young leave the nest, here, about the middle of June,
and a second brood is sometimes raised in the course of
the season. The parents and young now rove about in
restless prying troops, and take to the most secluded bushy
marshes, where they pass their time in comparative security
till the arrival of that period of scarcity which warns them to
depart. As early as the close of July, the lively song of the
male ceases to be heard, and the whole party now forage in
silence.
This species “ breeds from the Gulf States to Manitoba and
Labrador ; winters from the Gulf States southward.” (Chapman.)
NotrE. — The Western form has lately been separated from true
trichas and given varietal rank with the name G. ¢véchas occidentalis.
Its habitat is from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific. It is some-
what larger and more brightly colored than is the eastern race.
Another geographical race, the FLORIDA YELLOW-THROAT (G.
trichas ignota), differs from typical ¢vdchas in having the yellow of
under parts of deeper shade and greater extent; the facial mask is
wider also.
MOURNING WARBLER.
GEOTHLYPIS PHILADELPHIA.
Cuar. Above, olive ; head, neck, and breast ashy ; breast mottled with
black ; remainder of under parts yellow. Length 514 to 534 inches.
Nest. In open woodland or pasture, on the ground or in low tree or
bush; of vegetable fibre, lined with hair.
Eggs. 3-5; white or creamy, with brown and lilac spots wreathed
around the larger end; 0.70 X 0.54.
Wilson, the discoverer of this curious species, never met with
more than a single individual, which in its habits of frequent-
252 SINGING BIRDS.
ing marshy ground, and flitting through low bushes in quest of
insects, appears very similar to the Maryland Yellow-throat.
The discoverer, however, also distinguished it more importantly
by the zovelty of its sprightly and pleasant warble; we may
therefore perhaps consider it as a solitary straggler from the
main body in the western regions of this vast continent. It
was shot in the early part of June near Philadelphia,
On the 2zoth of May, 1831, I saw, as I believe, the maze of
this species in the dark shrubbery of the Botanic Garden
(Cambridge). It possessed all the manners of the common
species, was equally busy in search of insects in the low bushes,
and at little intervals warbled out some very pleasant notes,
which though they resembled the lively chant of the Maryland
Yellow-throat, even to the weftshee, yet they were more agree-
ably varied, so as to approach in some degree the song of the
Summer Yellow Bird (Sy/za @stiva). This remarkable note,
indeed, set me in quest of the bird, which I followed for some
time ; but at last, perceiving himself watched, he left the gar-
den. As far as I was able to observe this individual, he was
above of a dark olive-green, very cinereous on the fore part of
the head, with a band of black through the eyes, which de-
scended from the side of the neck, where at length it joined
with a crescent of dusky or black spots upon the breast; the
throat was yellow and the under parts paler.
Mr. Townsend saw a specimen on the shady borders of the
Schuylkill in the month of May last, and a second individual
has been obtained by Mr. De Rham in the vicinity of New York.
Two or three other specimens have also been obtained in the
vicinity of Philadelphia and in New Jersey. It is, however,
still a very rare species, and its proper habitation 1s yet to be
discovered.
This is still a rare bird in many localities, and it is among the
desiderata of most collectors; yet within the limits of its favorite
breeding areas, — at the higher altitudes of the Alleghanies; on the
Berkshire Hills; along the northern borders of Vermont and New
Hampshire; in portions of New York; and elsewhere between the
Atlantic coast and the Plains where suitable conditions of environ-
CONNECTICUT WARBLER. a9
ment are obtainable, —the Mourning Warbler is not at all rare,
and in the West —in Minnesota, Dakota, and Manitoba — it is
decidedly abundant. Evidently it has no special liking for the
Maritime Provinces nor for any portion of Canada east of Lake
Winnipeg, for Canadian observers in general report it rare or
uncommon. Yet one of the few nests that have been discovered
was secured by Mr. Kells, near Listowel, in Ontario. This nest
was in a cedar swamp and placed on the horizontal branch of
a small tree quite close to the ground.
The examples I saw in New Brunswick were in small flocks, and
were a very busy and very merry company, — busy in searching for
their food, moving in most sprightly and vivacious manner, and
making merry with sweet voices. The song consists of a few sim-
ple notes, but the birds frequently ascend to a high perch to deliver
it and sing on as if much pleased with the performance. Merriam
reports them singing thus for half an hour at a time.
CONNECTICUT WARBLER.
GRAY-HEADED WARBLER.
GEOTHLYPIS AGILIS.
CHAR. Male: above, olive ; head, neck, and breast ashy, darkest on
breast and crown, lightest on the throat ; white ring around the eyes;
chest and belly yellow, sides shaded with olive. Female: similar, but
without ashy tint on the head; throat tinged with brown; belly paler.
Length 5% to 6 inches.
Nest. Hidden on a tuft of weeds, or sunk in mossy mound, in swampy
woods ; composed of dried grass.
Eggs. 4-2; creamy, spotted, chiefly around the larger end, with black,
brown, and lilac; 0.75 + 0.55.
This rare species, discovered by Wilson in Connecticut and
afterwards in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, appears to
frequent low thickets, and is exceedingly active in pursuit of
its prey, scarcely remaining a moment in the same place.
Wilson afterwards shot two specimens of a bird which in every
particular agreed with the above, except in having the throat
dull buff instead of pale ash. These were both females, as he
supposed, of the present species.
The history of this bird is still interestingly obscure, so much
has yet to be learned; but gleaning from records made by obser-
vers in various parts of the country, I am enabled to add a little to
Nuttall’s account.
254 SINGING BIRDS.
The bird has been taken throughout the greater part of this
Eastern Province; but its distribution appears, from the evidence
so far gathered, to be somewhat peculiar. It winters in Mexico
and southward, and in the spring migrates wholly along the Missis-
sippi valley, where it is more or less abundant north to Manitoba,
though it is rarely seen at that season to the eastward of Illinois.
It breeds in Minnesota, Dakota, and Manitoba, and in the au-
tumn part of the flocks go south along the Mississippi, while others
pass eastward along the shores of the Great Lakes, and thence to
Massachusetts, the most northern limit of the bird’s range on
the Atlantic side, where it is common during the first half of
September, after which the flocks continue on a gradual movement
southward.
Dr. Wheaton considered the species very rare in Ohio, and it
was thought to be rare in Ontario until 1884, when my friend Wil-
liam Saunders found it common in the vicinity of London. The
only nest yet taken was discovered by another friend and fellow-
worker Ernest Thompson. It was found near Carberry, Manitoba,
in 1883, sunk amid a mossy mound in a tamarack swamp, —‘“‘a
dark, gray waste.”
In the West, during the spring migrations, these birds are exceed-
ingly active and very shy, moving incessantly among the branches
in quest of insects, and when approached darting into the thickest
covers; but those I saw on the Fresh Pond marsh at Cambridge
fed chiefly on the ground, among the leaves, and when disturbed
flew generally but a short distance to a low branch, and sat as com-
posedly as a Thrush.
Thompson describes the song as similar to the Golden-crowned
Thrush, and says it may be suggested by the syllables deecher-
beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher, sung at the same pitch
throughout; he adds, “but he also had another which I can recall
to mind by the aid of the syllables freechaple, freechaple, free-
chaple, WHOIT.”
This same writer says: “ Connecticut Warbler is an unfortunate
misnomer for this species,” and he suggests ‘‘Swamp Warbler ” or
“Tamarac Warbler” or “ Bog Black-throat.” ‘“ This species,” he
writes, ““has somewhat the manners of the Vireos, but is much
more active and sprightly in its movements.”
WORM-EATING WARBLER.
HELMITHERUS VERMIVORUS.
Cuar. Above, olive; head buff, with four stripes of black; beneath,
buff, paler on belly. Length 5% to 534 inches.
Vest. On the ground, often covered by a bush, or beside a fallen log;
of leaves, moss, and grass, lined with moss. fine grass. or hair.
Leggs. 3-6 (usually 5); variable in shape and color; white, sometimes
with buff or pink tint, marked with fine spots of reddish brown and
lilac; 0.70 X 0.55.
These birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the middle of
May, and migrate to the South towards the close of Septem-
ber; they were seen feeding their young in that State about
the 25th of June by Wilson, so that some pairs stay and breed
there. They are very active and indefatigable insect-hunters,
and have the note and many of the manners of the Marsh
Titmouse or Chickadee. About the 4th of October I have seen
a pair of these birds roving through the branches of trees with
restless agility, hanging on the twigs and examining the trunks,
in quest probably of spiders and other lurking and dormant
insects and their larvee. One of them likewise kept up a con-
stant complaining call, like the sound of ¢she de de.
According to Richardson this species visits the fur coun-
tries, where a single specimen was procured at Cumberland
House, on the banks of the Saskatchewan. It is found also in
Maine and the British Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia, Dr, Bachman says that it breeds sparingly in the
256 SINGING BIRDS.
swamps of Carolina, as he observed a pair followed by three
or four young ones nearly fledged, all of which already exhibi-
ted the markings on the head.
Richardson led Nuttall into a mistake regarding the distribution
of this species. Itis a Southern bird, breeding chiefly south of lati-
tude 4o°, and occurs but rarely along the northern limit of its range,
—southern New England, the southern shores of Lake Erie, and
southern Illinois, It has not been taken in the Provinces,
Usually these birds feed on the ground among the dead leaves,
but sometimes rise amid the branches, as described by Nuttall.
They are not “shy” birds, for they will remain on the nest until
fairly driven off, and when feeding are apparently indifferent about
being watched.
SWAINSON’S WARBLER.
HELINAIA SWAINSONII.
Cuar. Above, dull olive, head and wings tinged with reddish brown;
dark streak through the eyes ; line over eyes and under parts white with
yellow tint ; sides tinged with olive. Length 5% to 6 inches.
Nest. In a swamp, or near stagnant pool, or on dry upland; in cane-
stalk or on bush, 4 to 10 feet from the ground; a bulky and inartistic
affair of dead leaves, lined with roots and pine-needles.
£ggs. 3-4; white with blue tint, unmarked ; 0.75 X 0.60.
Dr. Bachman, who discovered this species near the banks
of the Edisto River, in South Carolina, remarks: “I was first
attracted by the novelty of its notes, four or five in number,
repeated at intervals of five or six minutes apart. These notes
were loud, clear, and more like a whistle than a song. They
resembled the sound of some extraordinary ventriloquist in such
a degree that I supposed the bird much farther off than it
really was; for after some trouble caused by these fictitious
notes, I observed it near me, and soon shot it.” These birds
appear to have a predilection for swampy, muddy places, usu-
ally more or less covered with water. They feed on coleop-
terous insects and the larvee which infest the pond-lily. They
usually keep in low bushes, and retire southward at the close
of summer. They breed, it appears, in South Carolina.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 257
Until recently, naturalists knew nothing more of this species than
Nuttall put into the above few lines; and for that information he was
indebted to Audubon. Only three examples were taken between
Audubon’s time and 1873, when Nathan C. Brown captured three
more in Alabama; and eleven years afterwards, in 1884, William
Brewster collected fifty specimens in the vicinity of Charleston,
and published in “The Auk” for January, 1885, an interesting
account of the bird’s habits.
He reports that he met with this bird in dry, scrubby woods or
open orange-groves, though it prefers the ranker growth of the
swamps, to which it appears to be confined during the breeding
season. Its song is said to be “very loud, very rich, very beau-
tiful, while it has an indescribable tender quality that thrills the
senses after the sound has ceased.”
The distribution of the species has not yet been very satisfac-
torily determined, but it probably occurs in all the South Atlantic
and Gulf States, and along the Mississippi valley north to Illinois
and Indiana,
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER.
PROTONOTARIA CITREA.
Cuar. Head, neck, and under parts golden yellow; back bright
olive ; wings, tail, and rump, bluish ash; inner webs of tail-feathers white.
Length about 5% inches.
Nest, On the margin of a stream or pond or in a swamp; a cavity in
dead tree, often a deserted nest of Woodpecker or Chickadee, generally
near the ground; lined with leaves and moss.
Legs. 4-7 (usually 6); white, or with buff tint, thickly spotted with
brownish red; 0.70 X 0.55.
This beautiful species inhabits the Southern States commonly
in summer, being plentiful in the low, dark, and swampy forests
of the Mississippi near New Orleans, as well as in Louisiana
and the wilds of Florida. In these solitary retreats individuals
are seen nimbly flitting in search of insects, caterpillars, larva,
and small land shells, every now and then uttering a few creak-
ing notes scarcely deserving the name of song. They some-
times, though very rarely, proceed as far north as Pennsylvania.
They appear to affect watery places in swamps which abound
with lagoons, and are seldom seen in the woods. According to
VOL. I. — 17
258 SINGING BIRDS.
Dr. Bachman, these birds breed in South Carolina, as he saw a
pair and their young near Charleston.
This species is common in the Gulf States, and ranges along the
Mississippi valley, being peculiarly abundant in southern Illinois
and southwestern Indiana, but near the Atlantic is rarely seen
north of Georgia. A few stragglers have been encountered in
New England, while one has been taken at St. Stephen, New
Brunswick, by Mr. George A. Boardman, and another near Hamil-
ton, Ontario, by H. C. Mcllwraith.
It is said to be more deliberate and thrushlike in its movements
than are its sprightly congeners, the Dendroice. The song most
frequently heard is described as a simple but pleasing whistle, like
that of the solitary Sandpiper, though when the singer is near at
hand, almost startling in its intensity. Mr. Brewster mentions
hearing another song delivered on the wing, and intended for the
ear of the mate alone. It is generally heard only after incubation
has commenced, and is low, but very sweet, and resembles some-
what the song of a Canary, delivered in an undertone.
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER.
HELMINTHOPHILA PINUS.
CHAR. Male: above, bright olive; wings and tail dull blue; wings
with two yellowish bars ; outer tail feathers with white blotches; black
line through the eye; crown and under parts bright yellow. Female:
similar but under parts duller, and yellow on head restricted to forehead.
Length about 5 inches.
Nest. Ina tuft of grass amid thicket of underbrush or along margin of
woods; bulky, and loosely made of dried leaves and vegetable fibre, lined
with fine grass. ‘
Eggs. 4-5; white, faintly speckled with brown; 0.60 X 0.50.
About the beginning of May this species enters Pennsylvania
from the South, and frequents thickets and shrubberies in quest
‘of the usual insect food of its tribe. At the approach of win-
ter, very different from the Pine Warbler, with which it has
sometimes been confounded, it retires to pass the winter in
tropical America, having been seen around Vera Cruz in
autumn by Mr. Bullock. On its arrival it frequents gardens,
orchards, and willow trees, gleaning among the blossoms, but
at length withdraws into the silent woods remote, from the
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER. 259
haunts of men, to pass the period of breeding and rearing its
young in more security.
The apparent distribution of this species, judged by the records
of recent observations, is somewhat peculiar. It seems to be
abundant in the southwestern portion of this Eastern Province, and
rarely ranges east of the Alleghanian hills until north of 40°, when
it spreads off to the shores of the Atlantic, though seldom going
beyond latitude 42°. “It is a common summer resident of south-
ern Connecticut, but is not known to occur regularly north of
Hartford, and is most numerous in the country immediately border-
ing the Sound and in the lower valley of the Connecticut River”
(Brewster). A few examples only have been taken in Massachu-
setts, and though common in Ohioit has not been seen in Ontario.
Farther west it is found north to the southern portions of Michigan,
Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It winters south to eastern Mexico
and Guatemala.
The nests that have been discovered in recent years are not
fashioned like that described by Wilson, for instead of being
funnel-shaped, they have the ordinary cup-like form.
Opinions differ regarding the song, but I am inclined to believe
that it is a rapid trill of strong, sweet tones, limited in compass and
executed with little art,—a merry whistle rather than an artistic
melody. “Asa rule it consists of the two drawled wheezy notes
sweéé-chee ; the first inhaled, the second exhaled. A less common
song uttered later in the season is wéé, ché-ché-ché-ché, chur, chéé,
chur, and is sometimes accompanied by peculiar 42% notes”
(Chapman).
200 SINGING BIRDS.
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER.
HELMINTHOPHILA CHRYSOPTERA.
Cuar. Male: above, bluish gray, sometimes tinged with olive;
crown bright yellow; side of head yellowish white, with broad patch of
black from bill through eyes; wings with large patch of bright yellow;
blotches on tail white; beneath, white tinged with yellow; throat black;
sides tinged with gray. Female: similar, but colors duller; patch from
bill through eyes, grayish. Length about 5 inches.
Nest. Amid a tuft of long grass, in moist meadow or damp margin of
woods ; constructed of shreds of bark, roots, etc , lined with fine grass.
Lggs. 4-6; white spotted with brown and lilac; 0.65 X 0.50.
This scarce species appears only a few days in Pennsylvania
about the last of April or beginning of May. It darts actively
through the leafy branches, and like the Titmouse examines the
stems for insects, and often walks with the head downwards ;
its notes and actions are also a good deal similar, in common
with the Worm-eating Warbler. I have never yet seen it in
Massachusetts, and if it really does proceed north to breed, it
must follow a western route.
The Golden-wing still remains a somewhat “scarce” bird, but it
occurs regularly in Connecticut and southern Massachusetts, and
in some few localities is often quite numerous. Its general breeding
area lies north of latitude 40°, though nests have been found among
the hills of Georgia and North Carolina. To the westward it breeds
in Ohio, southern Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and in the
vicinity of London, Ontario, where Saunders reports it quite com-
mon. It winters south to Central America.
NoTE. — Two variations from the type, BREWSTER’S WARBLER
(4. leucobronchialis) and LAWRENCE'S WARBLER (4. lawrence?)
are still placed on the “ hypothetical list ” by conservative writers.
Both birds are supposed to be either hybrids between AH. pzmus and
H. chrysoptera, or color phases. Lawrence’s Warbler is rather
rare, though it occurs regularly in Connecticut, but Brewster’s
Warbler is not uncommon in the Connecticut valley, and has been
traced south to Virginia and west to Michigan.
TENNESSEE WARBLER, 261
BACHMAN’S WARBLER.
HELMINTHOPHILA BACHMANIL.
CuHar. Male: above, olive; head dull ashy; tail grayish with white
patches; black band across crown; forehead and underparts yellow, with
large patch of black on the breast; yellow band on wing. Female:
similar, but duller and grayer ; under parts paler. Length 4% inches.
Vest. Ina low tree.
eggs. 4; dull white, heavily wreathed around larger end with dark
brown and spotted with lilac; 0.74 X 0.60.
This species was first obtained a few miles from Charles-
ton, S. C., in July 1833, by Dr. Bachman, after whom it is
named. It appears to be a lively, active species, frequenting
thick bushes, through which it glides after insects, or occasion-
ally, mounting on wing, it seizes them in the air. Several
individuals were seen in the same neighborhood.
Nothing more was heard of this interesting bird than the little
told by Audubon and Nuttall, until 1883, when Mr. H. B. Bailey
described the nest and eggs from examples collected in Georgia,
by Dr. S. W. Wilson, somewhere between 1853 and 1865. The
male and female secured by Dr. Bachman were the only specimens
taken until 1886, when a third was shot by Charles S. Galbraith,
in Louisiana, and announced by Mr. George N. Lawrence in ‘‘ The
Auk” of January, 1887. A fourth, taken in Florida in March,
1887, was announced by Dr. Merriam, and during that year others
were reported. Since then the bird has been discovered to be
fairly common in the South Atlantic and Gulf States.
It is described as an active, quarrelsome bird, wary and difficult
to approach. Its manner, when searching for food, is described as
rather leisurely. The song is somewhat similar to the Parula. It
frequents both shrubbery and high trees, but shows a preference
for the latter and for a rather thick growth.
TENNESSEE WARBLER.
HELMINTHOPHILA PEREGRINA.
CHAR. Male: above, olive, brightest on rump, shading to ashy on
head; wings and tail dusky; beneath, white, with faint tint of yellow;
sides tinged with gray. Female: similar, but crown tinged with olive
and under parts with more yellow. Young: similar to female, but crown
olive and under tail-coverts white. Length 4% to 43{ inches.
Vest. On a low bush in open woodland; made of grass, moss, and
vegetable fibre, lined with hair.
262 SINGING BIRDS.
Eggs. 0-0 (probably 4 or 5); white, wreathed around larger end with
brown and purplish spots: 0.65 X 0.50.
This rare and plain species was discovered by Wilson on
the banks of Cumberland River, in the State of Tennessee. It
was hunting with great agility among the opening leaves in
spring, and like the rest of the section to which it appertains,
possesses a good deal of the habits of the Titmouse. Its notes
were few and weak, and its food, as usual, smooth caterpillars
and winged insects. It is still so rare that Audubon never
saw more than three individuals, — two in Louisiana, and one at
Key West in East Florida, all of which were males.
Ornithologists of the present day do not consider this Warbler
quite so rare as did Nuttall and his contemporaries, though it is
somewhat local in its distribution, and is only met with occasionally
at many places within its range. In the Eastern States it is rather
rare, excepting on the northern border of New York and New Eng-
land, where it breeds; but it is more numerous in the Mississippi
valley, and Dr. Coues found it migrating in abundance along the
Red River, through Minnesota and Dakota, while Thompson
reports it as “a common summer resident” in parts of Manitoba.
Dr. Wheaton considered it rare in Ohio, but Saunders reports it
“common at times” in the southern peninsula of Ontario, while
Mcllwraith has seen it but twice near Hamilton. It is rare in the
Ottawa valley and near the city of Quebec, while common near
Montreal. Comeau says it breeds in numbers near Point de
Monts, on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Macoun
reports it common around Lake Misstissini. It is not uncommon in
some few localities in New Brunswick, where it remains all sum-
mer. Very few nests have been discovered.
The bird is very wary and always on the alert, — darting rapidly
from branch to branch. The song is a sweet-toned, cheery whistle,
— somewhat similar to that of the Nashville, “but so decidedly
different,” writes Mr. Bradford Torrey, ‘as never for a moment to
be confounded with it.” He adds: “ The resemblance lies entirely
in the first part; the notes of the concluding portion are not run
together or jumbled, after the Nashville’s manner, but are quite as
distinct as are those of the opening measure.”
Pl VT
1. Maryland Yellow-Throat. 4. Nashville Warbler.
2. Bluebird. ©. Black-Throated Blue Warbler.
3
. Winter Wren. 6 . Ruby-Crowned King let .~
NASHVILLE WARBLER, 263
NASHVILLE WARBLER.
HELMINTHOPHILA RUFICAPILLA.
CHar. Above, olive, brighter on rump; head ashy gray, with con-
cealed patch of reddish brown; yellow ring around the eyes ; beneath,
bright yellow, paler on the belly; sides shaded with olive. Length 4% to
5 inches.
West. Amid a tuft of weeds in pasture or open woodland ; composed
of leaves and vegetable fibre, lined with grass, pine-needles, or hair.
Legs. 3-5 (usually 4); white or creamy, marked with fine spots of
reddish brown and lilac ; 0.60 X 0.50.
This rare species was discovered by Wilson in the vicinity of
Nashville in Tennessee ; it also exists in the neighboring States
in summer, and occasionally proceeds as far north as Philadel-
phia, and even the neighborhood of Salem in this State [Mas-
sachusetts]. Its discoverer was first attracted to it by the
singular noise which it made, resembling the breaking of small
dry twigs, or the striking together of pebbles, for six or seven
times in succession, and loud enough to be heard at the dis-
tance of thirty or forty yards. A similar sound, produced, no
doubt, by the smart snapping of the bill, is given by the Stone-
chat of Europe, — which hence, in fact, derives its name. Au-
dubon says, the male, while standing in a still and erect posture,
utters a few low, eagerly repeated, creaking notes. This spe-
cies has all the active habits of the family to which it more
particularly belongs. Audubon says that these birds are not
in fact rare, as he saw them in considerable numbers in the
month of April, towards Texas, on their way eastward ; he also
saw them in Maine and the Provinces of New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia. A few proceed to Labrador, and Dr. Richardson
mentions the occurrence of a straggler in the fur countries,
However rare the Nashville may have been when Nuttall lived
in Cambridge, it is not a rare bird here to-day. It is, indeed, a
common summer resident throughout New England and the Mari-
tine Provinces, and occurs in more or less abundance westward to
Manitoba. It winters south to Mexico and Guatemala.
On the arrival of these birds in the spring they frequent the sub
264 SINGING BIRDS.
urban gardens and orchards, but soon retire to a more secluded
place to build; and hidden away amid the thicker bushes of their
favorite haunts, are often overlooked by the collector, —the or-
nithological reporter, — and thus the species has acquired a repu-
tation of being “ uncommon.”
The song is a typical Warbler-like performance, — a short trill of
sweet notes, whistled with little variation in tone, and little effort
at artistic execution; but I have not heard any of the “harsh”
and “creaking” effects noted by some writers.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.
HELMINTHOPHILA CELATA.
Cuar. Above, olive, brightest on the rump; crown with concealed
patch of brownish orange; line over and around the eyes, pale yellow;
beneath, pale greenish yellow ; sides shaded with olive. Length 4% to
5% inches.
Vest. On the ground among clumps of bushes; made of grass, moss,
and plant stems, lined with hair.
Eggs. 4-6; white or creamy, marked, chiefly around the larger end,
with spots of reddish brown and purplish slate ; 0.65 X 0.50.
This species, first discovered, early in May, on the banks of
the Missouri by my friend Mr. T. Say, appeared to be on its
passage farther north. It is not uncommon in winter in the
orange-groves of West Florida, where it proceeds to pass the
season, around St. Augustine ; and its note is described. as a
mere chirp and faint squeak, scarcely louder than that of a
mouse.
According to Audubon, these birds breed in the eastern part
of Maine and in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. In the
month of May we saw them abundant in the forests of the
Oregon, where no doubt they breed. The song is weak, some-
what resembling that of most of the Sylvicolas.
Audubon must have gathered in all the New Brunswick Orange
Crowns, for none have been seen there since his visit, nor can I
learn of any having been observed elsewhere in eastern Canada,
excepting the few discovered by MclIlwraith and Saunders in
KIRTLAND’S WARBLER. 265
southern Ontario, and one taken by Ernest D. Wintle near Mon.
treal in 1890.
Accidental stragglers have been taken in New England, but it is
chiefly a Western bird, breeding in the far north, though it winters
in the Southern and Gulf States.
KIRTLAND’S WARBLER.
DENDROICA KIRTLANDI.
CuHar. Above, slaty brown, head bluish; head and back streaked
with black; line across forehead and through the eyes, black ; beneath,
yellow, breast and sides spotted with black; white blotches on tail.
Length 53% to 6 inches.
Nest and Zggs. Unknown.
Only a few specimens of this bird, discovered by Dr. Kirtland,
near Cleveland, in 1851, have as yet been seen, and these few were
captured in South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin,
and Missouri during the spring migrations. Mr. Charles B. Cory
secured one in the Bahamas in winter. The habits of the bird are
unknown, but Mr. Chubb, who shot a male and female near Cleve-
land in 1880, says: “I am inclined to think they are rather terres-
trial in their habits, frequenting bushy fields near woods.” Mr.
Chapman suggests the probability of these birds breeding “in the
Hudson Bay region.”
NoTE. — The CARBONATED WARBLER (Dendroica carbonata),
mentioned by Nuttall onthe authority of Audubon, who killed two
specimens in Kentucky, has been placed on the “ Hypothetical
List” by the A. O. U. Committee, as has also the BLUE MOUNTAIN
WARBLER (Dendroica montana) and the SMALL-HEADED WAR-
BLER (Sylvania microcephala), mentioned by Wilson and Audu-
bon. No specimens of either have been taken in recent years.
On this same list has been placed the CINCINNATI WARBLER
(Helminthophila cincinnatiensis ), which is probably a hybrid of
AZ. pinus and G. formosa.
TOWNSEND’S WARBLER (Dendroica townsend?), described by
Nuttall and named in honor of its discoverer, is a rare bird of the
Far West, and its claim to mention here rests on the accidental
occurrence of one example near Philadelphia in 1868,
HOUSE WREN.
WOOD WREN.
TROGLODYTES AEDON.
Cuar. Above, reddish brown (sometimes with dark bars), darker on
the head; below, brownish white, marked irregularly with dark lines;
wings and tail with fine waved lines. Length about 5 inches.
Vest. On the eaves of houses or in a barn or hollow tree, etc.; made
of grass, twigs, etc.; the hole generally filled with rubbish and lined
with feathers.
Eggs. 7-9; white tinted with pink, densely marked with reddish
brown; 0.65 X 0.50.
This lively, cheerful, capricious, and well-known little min-
strel is only a summer resident in the United States. Its
northern migrations extend to Labrador, but it resides and
rears its young principally in the Middle States. My friend
Mr. Say also observed this species near Pembino, beyond the
sources of the Mississippi, in the Western wilderness of the
49th degree of latitude. It is likewise said to be an inhabitant
of Surinam, within the tropics, where its delightful melody has
gained it the nickname of the Nightingale. This region, or
the intermediate country of Mexico, is probably the winter
quarters of our domestic favorite. In Louisiana it is unknown
even as a transient visitor, migrating apparently to the east of
HOUSE WREN. 267
the Mississippi, and sedulously avoiding the region generally
inhabited by the Carolina Wren. It is a matter of surprise
how this, and some other species, with wings so short and a
flight so fluttering, are ever capable of arriving and returning
from such distant countries. At any rate, come from where
it may, it makes its appearance in the Middle States about the
12th or 15th of April, and is seen in New England in the latter
end of that month or by the beginning of May. It takes its
departure for the South towards the close of September or
early in October, and is not known to winter within the limits
of the Union.
Some time in the early part of May our little social visitor
enters actively into the cares as well as pleasures which preside
instinctively over the fiat of propagation. His nest, from pref-
erence, near the house, is placed beneath the eaves, in some
remote corner under a shed, out-house, barn, or in a hollow
orchard tree ; also in the deserted cell of the Woodpecker, and
when provided with the convenience, in a weoden box along
with the Martins and Bluebirds. He will make his nest even
in an old hat, nailed up, and perforated with a hole for en-
trance, or the skull of an ox stuck upon a pole; and Audubon
saw one deposited in the pocket of a broken-down carriage.
So pertinacious is the House Wren in thus claiming the con-
venience and protection of human society that, according to
Wilson, an instance once occurred where a nest was made in
the sleeve of a mower’s coat, which, in the month of June, was
hung up accidentally for two or three days in a shed near a
barn.
The nest of this species, though less curious than that
of some other kinds, is still constructed with considerable
appearance of contrivance. The external approach is bar-
ricaded with a strong outwork of sticks, interlaced with
much labor and ingenuity. When the nest, therefore, is
placed beneath the eaves, or in some other situation contig-
uous to the roof of the building, the access to the inner fabric
is so nearly closed by this formidable mass of twigs that a
mere portion of the edge is alone left open for the female,
268 SINGING BIRDS.
just sufficient for her to creep in and out. Within this judi-
cious fort is placed the proper nest, of the usual hemispherical
figure, formed of layers of dried stalks of grass, and lined with
feathers. The eggs, from 6 to g, are of a reddish flesh-color,
sprinkled all over with innumerable fine grains of a somewhat
deeper tint. They generally rear two broods in the season:
the first take to flight about the beginning of June, and the
second in July or August. The young are early capable of
providing for their own subsistence and twittering forth their
petulant cry of alarm. It is both pleasant and amusing to
observe the sociability and activity of these recent nurslings,
who seem to move in a body, throwing themselves into antic
attitudes, often crowding together into the old nests of other
birds, and for some time roosting near their former cradle,
under the affectionate eye of their busy parents, who have
perhaps already begun to prepare the same nest for a new
progeny. Indeed, so prospective and busy is the male that
he frequently amuses himself with erecting another mansion
even while his mate is still sitting on her eggs; and this curi-
ous habit of superfluous labor seems to be more or less common
to the whole genus.
One of these Wrens, according to Wilson, happened to lose
his mate by the sly and ravenous approaches of a cat, — an ani-
mal which they justly hold in abhorrence. The day after this
important loss, ovr little widower had succeeded in introducing
to his desolate mansion a second partner, whose welcome
appeared by the ecstatic song which the bridegroom now
uttered; after this they remained together, and reared their
brood. In the summer of 1830 I found a female Wren who
had expired on the nest in the abortive act of laying her first
egg. I therefore took away the nest from under the edge of the
shed in which it was built. The male, however, continued
round the place as before, and still cheerfully uttered his
accustomed song. Unwilling to leave the premises, he now
went to werk and made, unaided, another dwelling, and after
a time brought a new mate to take possession ; but less faith-
ful than Wilson’s bird, or suspecting some lurking danger, she
HOUSE WREN. 269
forsook the nest after entering, and never laid in it. But still
the happy warbler continued his uninterrupted lay, apparently
in solitude.
The song of our familiar Wren is loud, sprightly, and tremu-
lous, uttered with peculiar animation, and rapidly repeated ; at
first the voice seems ventriloquial and distant, and then bursts
forth by efforts into a mellow and echoing warble. ‘The trill-
ing, hurried notes seem to reverberate from the leafy branches
in which the musician sits obscured, or are heard from the low
roof of the vine-mantled cottage like the shrill and unwearied
pipe of some sylvan elf. The strain is continued even during
the sultry noon of the summer’s day, when most of the feath-
ered songsters seek repose and shelter from the heat. His
lively and querulous ditty is, however, still accompanied by
the slower-measured, pathetic chant of the Red-eyed Fly-
catcher, the meandering, tender warble of the Musical Vireo,
or the occasional loud mimicry of the Catbird; the whole
forming an aérial, almost celestial concert, which never tires
the ear. Though the general performance of our Wren bears
no inconsiderable resemblance to that of the European species,
yet his voice is louder, and his execution much more varied and
delightful. He is rather a bold and insolent intruder upon those
birds who reside near him or claim the same accommodation.
He frequently causes the mild Bluebird or the Martin to relin-
quish their hereditary claims to the garden box, and has been
accused also of sucking their eggs. Nor is he any better con-
tented with neighbors of his own fraternity who settle near him,
keeping up frequent squabbles, like other little busybodies,
who are never happy but in mischief; so that upon the whole,
though we may justly admire the fine talents of this petulant
domestic, he is, like many other actors, merely a good per-
former. He is still upon the whole a real friend to the farmer
and horticulturist, by the number of injurious insects and their
destructive larvee on which both he and his numerous family
subsist. Bold and fearless, seeking out every advantageous
association, and making up in activity what he may lack in
sttength, he does not confine his visits to the cottage or the
270 SINGING BIRDS.
country, but may often be heard on the tops of houses even in
the midst of the city, warbling with his usual energy.
The House Wren is a common summer resident of Massachu-
setts, but is rarely seen north of this State.
The only instance of its occurrence in New Brunswick is that of
a pair seen at Grand Falls by Mr. C. F. Batchelder. It is fairly
common near Montreal and through southern Ontario, and is
abundant in Manitoba. It winters in the Middle States and
southward.
Norte. — A Western form — distinguished from true aédox by the
prevalence of gray on its upper parts and its more distinct bars on
the back — occurs from Illinois and Manitoba westward. This is
WESTERN House WREN (VT. a. aztecus).
The Woop WREN (7. americanus), mentioned by Nuttall on the
authority of Audubon, should have been referred to 7. aédon.
WINTER WREN.
TROGLODYTES HIEMALIS.
Cuar. Above, reddish brown, brightest on the rump, marked with
dark waved lines; wings and tail with dark bars; under parts paler
brown, belly and under tail-coverts with numerous dark bars. Length
about 4 inches.
Vest. At the foot of a moss-covered stump, or under a fallen tree, or
amid a pile of brush; composed of twigs and moss, lined with feathers.
£ggs. 4-6; white, spotted, chiefly near the larger end, with reddish
brown and purple ;°0.70 X 0.50.
This little winter visitor, which approaches the Middle States
in the month of October, seems scarcely in any way distin-
guishable from the Common Wren of Europe. It sometimes
passes the winter in Pennsylvania, and according to Audubon
even breeds in the Great Pine Swamp in that State, as well as
in New York. Early in the spring it is seen on its returning
route to the Northwest. Mr. Say observed it in summer near
the base of the Rocky Mountains; it was also seen, at the
same season, on the White Mountains of New Hampshire by
the scientific exploring party of Dr. Bigelow, Messrs. Boott
WINTER WREN. 271
and Gray, so that it must retire to the Western or mountainous
solitudes to pass the period of incubation. Mr. Townsend
obtained specimens of this bird in the forests of the Colum-
bia. During its residence in the Middle States it frequents
the broken banks of rivulets, old roots, and decayed logs near
watery places in quest of its insect food. Asin Europe, it also
approaches the farm-house, examines the wood-pile, erecting
its tail, and creeping into the interstices like a mouse. It
frequently mounts on some projecting object and sings with
great animation. In the gardens and outhouses of the city it
appears equally familiar as the more common House Wren.
The Wren has a pleasing warble, and much louder than
might be expected from its diminutive size. Its song likewise
continues more or less throughout the year, — even during the
prevalence of a snowstorm it has been heard as cheerful as
ever; it likewise continues its note till very late in the evening,
though not after dark.
This species is common throughout the Eastern States, breeding
in northern New England and north to the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
and westward through northern Ohio and Ontario to Manitoba.
During the summer it occurs also, sparingly, on the Berkshire Hills
in Massachusetts, and along the crests of the Alleghanies to North
Carolina. It winters from about 40° southward.
Had Nuttall ever met with the Winter Wren in its summer
haunts; had he heard its wild melody break the stillness of the
bird’s forest home, or known of the power controlled by that tiny
throstle and of its capacity for brilliant execution; had he but once
listened to its sweet and impassioned tones, and the suggestive
joyousness of its rapid trills; had Nuttall, in short, ever heard
the bird sing,— he could not, surely, have damned it with such
faint praise.
The song of this Wren is not well known, for the bird seldom
sings beyond the nesting period, and then is rarely heard away
from the woodland groves. But once heard, the song is not soon
forgotten ; it, is so wild and sweet a lay, and is flung upon the
woodland quiet with such energy, such hilarious abandon, that it
commands attention. Its merits entitle it to rank among the best
of our sylvan melodies.
CAROLINA WREN.
MOCKING WREN.
THRYOTHORUS LUDOVICIANUS,
Cuar. Above, reddish brown, with fine black bars ; below, tawny buff ;
long line over the eye white or buff; wings and tail with dark bars
Length 57% to 6 inches.
Nest. In any available hole, often in hollow tree, sometimes in brush
heap, usually in the woods ; composed of grass, leaves, etc., sometimes
fastened with corn-silk, lined with feathers, grass, or horse-hair.
£ggs. 3-6; white, with pink or buff tint, thickly speckled around
larger end with reddish brown; 0.75 X 0.60.
This remarkable mimicking and Musical Wren is a constant
resident in the Southern States from Virginia to Florida, but
is rarely seen at any season north of the line of Maryland or
Delaware, though, attracted by the great river-courses, it is
abundant from Pittsburg to New Orleans. A few individuals
stray, in the course of the spring, as far as the line of New
York, and appear in New Jersey and the vicinity of Philadel-
phia early in the month of May. On the 17th of April, re-
turning from a Southern tour of great extent, I again recognized
my old and pleasing acquaintance, by his usual note, near
Chester, on the Delaware, where, I have little doubt, a few
remain and pass the summer, retiring to the South only
CAROLINA WREN. 273
as the weather becomes inclement. On the banks of the
Patapsco, near Baltimore, their song is still heard to the close
of November.
Our bird has all the petulance, courage, industry, and famili-
arity of his particular tribe. He delights to survey the mean-
ders of peaceful streams, and dwell amidst the shady trees
which adorn their banks. His choice seems to convey a taste
for the picturesque and beautiful in Nature, himself, in the
foreground, forming one of the most pleasing attractions of
the scene. Approaching the waterfall, he associates with its
murmurs the presence of the Kingfisher, and modulating the
hoarse rattle of his original into a low, varied, desponding note,
he sits on some depending bough by the stream, and calls, at
intervals, in a slow voice, éee-yurrh tee-yurrh, or chr'r'r'r’rh.
In the tall trees by the silent stream, he recollects the lively,
common note of the Tufted Titmouse, and repeats the peto peto
pelo peet, or his peevish hatéédid, hatétédid, hatedid. While
gleaning low, amidst fallen leaves and brushwood, for hiding
and dormant insects and worms, he perhaps brings up the note
of his industrious neighbor, the Ground Robin, and sets to his
own sweet and liquids tones the simple soweet soweet toweet.
The tremulous trill of the Pine Warbler is then recollected,
and “&r?r'r'r'rh is whistled. In the next breath comes his
imitation of the large Woodpecker, wotty wotty wotty and
wotchy wotchy wotchy, or tshovee tshovee tshof, and tshooddee
tshooddee tshooadeet, then varied to ¢shuvai tshuvai tshuvat, and
toovaitah toovairah toovaiiatoo. Next comes perhaps his more
musical and pleasing version of the Blackbird’s short song,
wottitshee wottitshee wottitshee. To the same smart tune is
now set a chosen part of the drawling song of the Meadow
Lark, precédo precédo preceet, then varied, recédo recédo receet
and tecedo tecedo teceet; or changing to a bass key, he tunes
Sooteet sooteet soot. Once, I heard this indefatigable mimic
attempt delightfully the warble of the Bluebird in the month of
February. The bold whistle of the Cardinal Bird is another
of the sounds he delights to imitate and repeat in his own
quaint manner; such as wityw vit-yu vit-yi, and vishnu vishnu
VOL. I. — 18
274 SINGING BIRDS.
vishnu, then his wottee wottee wottee and wiltee wiltee wiltee.
Soon after I first heard the note of the White-eyed Vireo in
March, the Carolina Wren immediately mimicked the note of
tecah wéwd wittee weewd. Some of these notes would appear
to be recollections of the past season, as imitations of the
Maryland Yellow-Throat (wttisee wittisee wittisee wit, and
Shewaidit shewaidit shewaidit), not yet heard or arrived within
the boundary of the United States. So also his sherry tsherry
tsherry tshup is one of the notes of the Baltimore Bird, yet in
South America.
While at Tuscaloosa, about the zoth of February, one of
these Wrens, on the borders of a garden, sat and repeated for
some time ¢she-whiskee whiskee whiskee, then soolait soolait
soolait ; another of his phrases is sshukddee tshukadee tshuka-
deetshoo and chjibway chjibway chjibway, uttered quick ; the
first of these expressions is in imitation of one of the notes of
the Scarlet Tanager. Amidst these imitations and variations,
which seem almost endless, and lead the stranger to imagine
himself, even in the depth of winter, surrounded by all the
quaint choristers of the summer, there is still, with our capri-
cious and tuneful mimic, a favorite theme more constantly
and regularly repeated than the rest. This was also the first
sound that I heard from him, delivered with great spirit, though
in the dreary month of January. This sweet and melodious
ditty, ¢see-toot tsee-toot tsee-toot, and sometimes ¢see-toot tsee-
toot seet, was usually uttered in a somewhat plaintive or tender
strain, varied at each repetition with the most delightful and
delicate tones, of which no conception can be formed without
experience. That this song has a sentimental air may be con-
ceived from its interpretation by the youths of the country,
who pretend to hear it say swéet-heart swéet-heart swéet/ Nor
is the illusion more than the natural truth; for, usually, this
affectionate ditty is answered by its mate, sometimes in the
same note, at others, in a different call. In most cases it will
be remarked that the phrases of our songster are uttered in
3's; by this means it will generally be practicable to distinguish
its performance from that of other birds, and particularly from
CAROLINA WREN. 275
the Cardinal Grosbeak, whose expressions it often closely imi-
tates both in power and delivery. I shall never, I believe,
forget the soothing satisfaction and amusement I derived from
this little constant and unwearied minstrel, my sole vocal com-
panion through many weary miles of a vast, desolate, and
otherwise cheerless wilderness. Yet with all his readiness to
amuse by his Protean song, the epitome of all he had ever
heard or recollected, he was still studious of concealment,
keeping busily engaged near the ground, or in low thickets, in
quest of his food ; and when he mounted a log or brush pile,
which he had just examined, his color, so similar to the fallen
leaves and wintry livery of Nature, often prevented me from
gaining a glimpse of this wonderful and interesting mimic.
Like the preceding species, he has restless activity and a
love for prying into the darkest corners after his prey, and is
particularly attached to the vicinity of rivers and wet places,
when not surrounded by gloomy shade. His quick and capri-
cious motions, antic jerks, and elevated tail resemble the actions
of the House Wren. Eager and lively in his contracted flight,
before shifting he quickly throws himself forward, so as nearly
to touch his perch previous to springing from his legs. In
Tuscaloosa and other towns in Alabama he appeared frequently
upon the tops of the barns and out-houses, delivering with
energy his varied and desultory lay. At Tallahassee, in West
Florida, I observed one of these birds chanting near the door
of a cottage, and occasionally imitating, in his way, the squall-
ing of the crying child within, so that, like the Mocking Bird,
all sounds, if novel, contribute to his amusement.
This species is common in the Southern States and north to 40°,
being extremely abundant in southern Illinois, and it occasionally
wanders to northern Ohio and to New York, Connecticut, Massa-
chusetts, and southern New Hampshire. Mr. Saunders reports
that one was taken near London, Ontario, in February, 1891.
Note. — The FLoripa WReEN (7. ludovicianus miamensis) is
a larger, darker form, which is restricted to southeastern Florida.
276 SINGING BIRDS.
BEWICK’S WREN.
| LONG-TAILED HOUSE WREN.
THRYOTHORUS BEWICKII.
Cuar. Above, chestnut brown; tail with dark bars; wings not
barred; buff stripe over eye; below, dull white; flanks brown. Length
5 to 5% inches.
Nest. Almost anywhere. In settled districts it is usually built in a
crevice of a house or barn; but in the woods a hollow tree or stump is
selected, or a clump of bushes. Composed of a mass of leaves, grass, etc.,
roughly put together.
Eggs. 4-73; white or with pink tint, thickly marked with fine spots of
reddish brown and purple; 0.65 X 0.50.
For the discovery of this beautiful species of Wren, appar-
ently allied to the preceding, with which it seems nearly to
agree in size, we are indebted to the indefatigable Audubon, in
whose splendid work it is for the first time figured. It was
observed by its discoverer, towards the approach of winter, in
the lower part of Louisiana. Its manners are very similar to
those of other species, but instead of a song, at this season it
only uttered a low twitter.
Dr. Bachman found this species to be the most prevalent of
any other in the mountains of Virginia, particularly about the
Salt Sulphur Springs, where they breed and pass the season.
The notes bear some resemblance to those of the Winter Wren,
being scarcely louder or more connected. From their habit of
prying into holes and hollow logs they are supposed to breed in
such situations. Mr. Trudeau believes that they breed in Loui-
siana. In the marshy meadows of the Wahlamet Mr. Townsend
and myself frequently saw this species, accompanied by the
young, as early as the month of May. At this time they have
much the habit and manners of the Marsh Wren, and probably
nest in the tussocks of rank grass in which we so frequently
saw them gleaning their prey. They were now shy, and rarely
seen in the vicinity of our camp.
Bewick’s Wren is abundant along the Mississippi valley, but is
rarely seen east of the Alleghanies or north of latitude 40°.
SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN. 277
SHORT-BILLED MARSH WREN.
CISTOTHORUS STELLARIS.
CHAR. Above, brown, very dark on crown and back, and streaked
everywhere with buffy; wings and tail with dark bars; below, buffy
white, paler on throat and belly; breast and sides shaded with brown
Length 4 to 4% inches.
Vest. On the ground, amid a tuft of high grass, in fresh-water marsh or
swampy meadow ; composed of grass, lined with vegetable down. Usu-
ally the tops of surrounding grass are weaved above the nest, leaving an
entrance at the side.
Leggs. 6-8; white; 0.65 X 0.50.
This amusing and not unmusical little species inhabits the
lowest marshy meadows, but does not frequent the reed-flats.
It never visits cultivated grounds, and is at all times shy, timid,
and suspicious. It arrives in this part of Massachusetts about
the close of the first week in May, and retires to the South by
the middle of September at farthest, probably by night, as it is
never seen in progress, so that its northern residence is only
prolonged about four months. In winter this bird is seen from
South Carolina to Texas,
His presence is announced by his lively and quaint song of
'tsh 'tship, & day diy day day, delivered in haste and earnest
at short intervals, either when he is mounted on a tuft of
sedge, or while perching on some low bush near the skirt of
the marsh. The ’¢sh ’¢ship is uttered with a strong aspiration,
and the remainder with a guttural echo. While thus engaged,
his head and tail are alternately depressed and elevated, as if
the little odd performer were fixed on a pivot. Sometimes the
note varies to ‘ship 'tship 'tshia, dh’ dh’ ch’ dh’, the latter
part being a pleasant trill. When approached too closely, —
which not often happened, as he never permitted me to come
within two or three feet of his station,—his song became
harsh and more hurried, like ’¢ship da da da, and de de de de
d@’ a’ dh, or tshe de de de de, rising into an angry, petulant cry,
sometimes also a low, hoarse, and scolding daigh daigh ; then
again on invading the nest the sound sank to a plaintive ’ésh
278 SINGING BIRDS,
tship, *tsh tship. In the early part of the breeding season the
male is very lively and musical, and in his best humor he tunes
up a Aship 'tship tship a dee, with a pleasantly warbled and
reiterated de. At a later period another male uttered little else
than a hoarse and guttural dazgh, hardly louder than the croak-
ing ofa frog. When approached, these birds repeatedly descend
into the grass, where they spend much of their time in quest of
insects, chiefly crustaceous, which with moths, constitute their
principal food; here, unseen, they still sedulously utter their
quaint warbling, and “hip “ship a day day day day may for
about a month from their arrival be heard pleasantly echoing
ona fine morning from the borders of every low marsh and wet
meadow provided with tussocks of sedge-grass, in which they
indispensably dwell, for a time engaged in the cares and grati-
fication of raising and providing for their young.
The nest of the Short-billed Marsh Wren is made wholly of
dry or partly green sedge, bent usually from the top of the
grassy tuft in which the fabric is situated. With much inge-
nuity and labor these simple materials are loosely entwined
together into a spherical form, with a small and rather obscure
entrance left in the side; a thin lining is sometimes added to
the whole, of the linty fibres of the silk-weed or some other
similar material. The eggs, pure white and destitute of spots,
are probably from 6 to 8. In a nest containing 7 eggs there
were 3 of them larger than the rest and perfectly fresh, while
the 4 smaller were far advanced towards hatching ; from this
circumstance we may-fairly infer that ‘wo different individuals
had laid in the same nest,—a circumstance more common
among wild birds than is generally imagined. This is also the
more remarkable as the male of this species, like many other
Wrens, is much employed in making nests, of which not more
than one in three or four are ever occupied by the females.
The summer limits of this species, confounded with the
ordinary Marsh-Wren, are yet unascertained ; and it is singu-
lar to remark how near it approaches to another species in-
habiting the temperate parts of the southern hemisphere in
America, namely, the Sy/véa platensis, figured and indicated by
LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN. 279
Buffon. The time of arrival and departure in this species,
agreeing exactly with the appearance of the Marsh Wren of
Wilson, appears to prove that it also exists in Pennsylvania
with the following, whose migration, according to Audubon, is
more than a month earlier and later than that of our bird. Mr.
Cooper, however, has not been able to meet with it in the
vicinity of New York, but Dr. Trudeau found its nest in the
marshes of the Delaware.
This Wren occurs throughout the Eastern Province north to
Massachusetts on the Atlantic, and in the west to Manitoba, breed-
ing generally north of 40°, and wintering in the Gulf States. It is
found in eastern Canada only on the marshes near Lake St. Clair.
LONG-BILLED MARSH WREN.
CISTOTHORUS PALUSTRIS.
CHAR. Above, dull reddish brown, darker on crown; back black,
streaked with white ; white line over eyes; wings and tail with dark bars;
below, buffy white, shaded on sides with brown. Length 5 to 54 inches.
Vest. Ina salt marsh or reedy swamp of interior, fastened to reeds or
cat-tails or a small bush; composed of grass and reeds, sometimes
plastered with mud, lined with fine grass or feathers. It is bulky and
spherical in form, the entrance at the side.
£ggs. 6-10; generally so thickly covered with dark-brown spots as to
appear uniform chocolate with darker spots; 0.65 X 0.50.
This retiring inhabitant of marshes and the wet and sedgy
borders of rivers arrives in the’ Middle States of the Union
early in April, and retires to the South about the middle of
October. It is scarcely found to the north of the State of
New York, its place in New England being usually occupied
by the preceding species, though a few individuals are known
to breed in the marshes near Cambridge and Boston.
It is a remarkably active and quaint little bird, skipping
and diving about with great activity after its insect food and
their larvee among the rank grass and rushes, near ponds and
the low banks of rivers, where alone it affects to dwell, laying
no claims to the immunities of the habitable circle of man,
but content with its favorite marshes; neglected and seldom
280 SINGING BIRDS.
seen, it rears its young in security. The song, according to the
observations of a friend, is very similar to that of the preced-
ing,—a sort of short, tremulous, and hurried warble. Its
notes were even yet heard in an island of the Delaware, oppo-
site to Philadelphia, as late as the month of September, where
they were still in plenty in this secluded asylum. Towards the
close of the breeding season the song often falls off into a low,
guttural, bubbling sound, which appears almost like an effort of
ventriloquism.
The nest, according to Wilson, is generally suspended
among the reeds and securely tied to them at a sufficient
height above the access of the highest tides. It is formed of
wet rushes well intertwisted together, mixed with mud, and
fashioned into the form of a cocoa-nut, having a small orifice
left in the side for entrance. The principal material of this
nest, as in the preceding species, is, however, according to
Audubon, the leaves of the sedge-grass, on a tussock of which
it also occasionally rests. The young quit the nest about the
2oth of June, and they generally have a second brood in the
course of the season. From the number of empty nests found
in the vicinity of the residence of the Marsh Wren, it is
pretty evident that it is also much employed in the usual
superfluous or capricious labor of the genus. The pugnacious
character of the males, indeed, forbids the possibility of so
many nests being amicably occupied in the near neighborhood
in which they are commonly found.
This Wren is common in suitable localities in Massachusetts, but
has not been found farther northward. It occurs westward to the
Pacific, and south (in winter) to. the Gulf States. It appears on
Canadian territory only in southern Ontario and Manitoba.
Note. — WORTHINGTON’S MARSH WREN (C. palustris griseus)
and MarRIAN’s MARSH WREN (C. p. mariane) have been discov-
ered somewhat recently. Both are smaller than true palustris.
Griseus is described as the palest of the three, and “ its dark mark-
ings are less pronounced. It is restricted to the coast of South
Carolina and Georgia,” while #zardan@ has been found only on the
southwestern coast of Florida. The latter race is the darkest of
the three.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
REGULUS CALENDULA.
Cuar. Above, olive, brighter on rump; crown with a concealed patch
of rich scarlet, white at the base,— wanting in female and young; white
ring around the eyes; wings and tail dusky, the feathers edged with dull
buff; wings with two white bars; below, dull white tinged with buff.
Length about 44 inches.
Nest. In woodland, usually partially pensile, suspended from extrem-
ity of branch,— often placed on top of branch, sometimes against the
trunk, —on coniferous tree, 10 to 30 feet from the ground; neatly and
compactly made of shreds of bark, grass, and moss, lined with feathers or
hair.
ges. 6-9; dull white or buff, spotted, chiefly around larger end, with
bright reddish brown; 0.55 X 0.43.
These beautiful little birds pass the summer and breeding
season in the colder parts of the North American continent,
penetrating even to the dreary coasts of Greenland, where, as
well as around Hudson’s Bay and Labrador, they rear their
young in solitude, and obtain abundance of the diminutive
flying insects, gnats, and cynips, on which with small cater-
pillars they and their young delight to feed. In the months of
October and November the approach of winter in their natal
regions stimulates them to migrate towards the South, when
they arrive in the Eastern and Middle States, and frequent in
a familiar and unsuspicious manner the gardens and orchards ;
how far they proceed to the South is uncertain. On the 12th
of January I observed them near Charleston, South Carolina,
with companies of Sy/v¢as busily darting through the ever-
greens in swampy situations in quest of food, probably minute
larve. About the first week in March I again observed them
in West Florida in great numbers, busily employed for hours
together in the tallest trees, some of which were already un-
folding their blossoms, such as the maples and oaks. About
the beginning of April they are seen in Pennsylvania on their
way to the dreary limits of the continent, where they only
arrive towards the close of May, so that in the extremity of
their range they do not stay more than three months. Wilson,
282 SINGING BIRDS.
it would appear, sometimes met with them in Pennsylvania
even in summer; but as far as I can learn, they are never ob-
served in Massachusetts at that season, and with their nest and
habits of incubation we are unacquainted. In the fall they
seek society apparently with the Titmouse and Golden-Crested
Kinglet, with whom they are intimately related in habits, man-
ners, and diet ; the whole forming a busy, silent, roving com-
pany, with no object in view but that of incessantly gleaning
their now scanty and retiring prey. So eagerly, indeed, are
they engaged at this time that scarcely feeling sympathy
for each other, or willing to die any death but that of famine,
they continue almost uninterruptedly to hunt through the same
tree from which their unfortunate companions have just fallen
by the destructive gun. They only make at this time, occa-
sionally, a feeble chirp, and take scarcely any alarm, however
near they are observed. Audubon met with this species breed-
ing in Labrador, but did not discover the nest; its song, he
remarks, is fully as sonorous as that of the Canary, — as pow-
erful and clear, and even more varied.
This species probably breeds from about latitude 45° to the
lower fur countries, and on the higher mountains to the southward.
Few nests have been discovered. Rev. Frank Ritchie found one
near Lennoxville, Quebec, and Harry Austen has taken another
near Halifax, in which he found 11 eggs.
The full song is much more elaborate and more beautiful than
the bird has usually been‘credited with, for it has been described
by writers who have heard only the thin, weak notes more gener-
ally uttered. Mr. Chapman describes this song as mellow and
flute-like, “loud enough to be heard several hundred yards; an
intricate warble past imitation or description, and rendered so
admirably that I never hear it now without feeling an impulse to
applaud.” ,
Note. — Cuvier’s KINGLET (Regulus cuvieri) was placed on
the “ Hypothetical List” by the A. O. U. Committee. The single
bird shot by Audubon in Pennsylvania is the only specimen that
has been obtained.
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.
REGULUS SATRAPA.
Cuar. Above, olive, brightest on the rump; crown with patch of
orange red and yellow, bordered by black (female and young lacking the
red) ; forehead and line over eyes and patch beneath, dull white ; wings
and tail dusky, the feathers edged with dull buff; two white bars on
wings; below, dull white with buff tint. Length 4 inches
Vest. In damp coniferous woods, often wholly or partially pendent
from small twigs near end of branch (sometimes saddled upon the branch)
Io to 50 feet from the ground; usually made of green moss and lichens,
lined at bottom with shreds of soft bark and roots, and often with feathers
fastened to inside of edge, and so arranged that the tips droop over and
conceal the eggs; sometimes the nest is a spherical mass of moss and
lichens, lined with vegetable down and wool; the entrance at the side.
£eggs. 6-10; usually creamy or pale buff, sometimes white, unmarked,
or dotted with pale reddish brown and lavender over entire surface,
often merely a wreath, more or less distinct around larger end; 0.55
X 0.45.
These diminutive birds are found, according to the season,
not only throughout North America, but even in the West
Indies. They appear to be associated only in pairs, and are
seen on their southern route, in this part of Massachusetts, a
few days in October, and about the middle of the month, or a
little earlier or later according to the setting in of the season,
as they appear to fly before the desolating storms of the north-
ern regions, whither they retire about May to breed. Some
few remain in Pennsylvania until December or January, pro-
ceeding probably but little farther south during the winter.
They are not known to reside in any part of New England,
retiring to the same remote and desolate limits of the farthest
North with the preceding species, of which they have most of
284 SINGING BIRDS.
the habits. They are actively engaged during their transient
visits to the South in gleaning up insects and their lurking
larvee, for which they perambulate the branches of trees of
various kinds, frequenting gardens and orchards, and skipping
and vaulting from the twigs, sometimes head downwards like
the Chickidee, with whom they often keep company, making
only now and then a feeble chirp. They appear at this time
to search chiefly after spiders and dormant concealed coleop-
terous or shelly insects; they are also said to feed on small
berries and some kinds of seeds, which they break open by
pecking with the bill in the manner of the Titmouse. They
likewise frequent the sheltered cedar and pine woods, in which
they probably take up their roost at night. Early in April
they are seen on their return to the North in Pennsylvania; at
this time they dart among the blossoms of the maple and elm
in company with the preceding species, and appear more vola-
tile and actively engaged in seizing small flies on the wing, and
collecting minute, lurking caterpillars from the opening leaves.
On the 21st of May, 1835, I observed this species feeding
its full-fledged young in a tall pine-tree on the banks of the
Columbia River.
The range of this species is now set down as “ Eastern North
America, breeding from the northern border of the United States
northward and southward along the Rockies and the Alleghanies;
wintering south to Guatemala.” Until quite recently it was sup-
posed to be a migrant through Massachusetts, wintering in small
numbers, but has been discovered breeding in both Berkshire and
Worcester counties. It is a resident of the settled portion of
Canada, though not common west of the Georgian Bay, and rarely
breeding south of latitude 45°.
‘The song is a rather simple “ twittered warble,” shrill and high-
pitched.
BLUEBIRD.
SIALIA SIALIS.
CHAR. Male: above, azure blue, duller on cheeks; throat, breast, and
sides reddish brown; belly and under tail-coverts white; shafts of feathers
in wing and tail, black. Female: duller, blue of back mixed with grayish
brown; breast with less of rufous tint. Length about 634 inches.
Nest. Ina hollow tree, deserted Woodpecker’s hole, or other excava-
tion or crevice, or in a bird-box ; meagrely lined with grass or feathers.
£ggs. 4-6; usually pale blue, sometimes almost white; 0.85 X 0.65.
These well-known and familiar favorites inhabit almost the
whole eastern side of the continent of America, from the 48th
parallel to the very line of the tropics. Some appear to mi-
grate in winter to the Bermudas and Bahama islands, though
most of those which pass the summer in the North only retire
to the Southern States or the tableland of Mexico. In South
Carolina and Georgia they were abundant in January and Feb-
ruary, and even on the 12th and 28th of the former month, the
weather being mild, a few of these wanderers warbled out their
simple notes from the naked limbs of the long-leaved pines.
Sometimes they even pass the winter in Pennsylvania, or at
least make their appearance with almost every relenting of the
severity of the winter or warm gleam of thawing sunshine.
From this circumstance of their roving about in quest of their
scanty food, like the hard-pressed and hungry Robin Redbreast,
who by degrees gains such courage from necessity as to enter
the cottage for his allowed crumbs, it has, without foundation,
286 SINGING BIRDS.
been supposed that our Bluebird, in the intervals of his absence,
passes the tedious and stormy time in a state of dormancy ;
but it is more probable that he flies to some sheltered glade,
some warm and more hospitable situation, to glean his frugal
fare from the berries of the cedar or the wintry fruits which
still remain ungathered in the swamps. Defended from the
severity of the cold, he now also, in all probability, roosts in
the hollows of decayed trees, —a situation which he generally
chooses for the site of his nest. In the South, at this cheer-
less season, Bluebirds are seen to feed on the glutinous berries
of the mistletoe, the green-brier, and the sumach. Content with
their various fare, and little affected by the extremes of heat
and cold, they breed and spend the summer from Labrador to
Natches, if not to Mexico, where great elevation produces the
most temperate and mild of climates. They are also abundant,
at this season, to the west of the Mississippi, in the territories
of the Missouri and Arkansas,
In the Middle and Northern States the return of the Blue-
bird to his old haunts round the barn and the orchard is
hailed as the first agreeable presage of returning spring, and he
is no less a messenger of grateful tidings to the farmer, than
an agreeable, familiar, and useful companion to all. Though
sometimes he makes a still earlier flitting visit, from the 3d to
the middle of March he comes hither as a permanent resident,
and is now accompanied by his mate, who immediately visits the
box in the garden, or the hollow in the decayed orchard tree,
which has served as the cradle of preceding generations of his
kindred. Affection and jealousy, as in the contending and re-
lated Thrushes, have considerable influence over the Bluebird.
He seeks perpetually the company of his mate, caresses and
soothes her with his amorous song, to which she faintly replies ;
and, like the faithful Rook, seeks occasion to show his gallan-
try by feeding her with some favorite insect. If a rival make
his appearance, the attack is instantaneous, the intruder is
driven with angry chattering from the precincts he has chosen,
and he now returns to warble out his notes of triumph by the
side of his cherished consort. The business of preparing and
BLUEBIRD. 287
cleaning out the old nest or box now commences; and even
in October, before they bid farewell to their favorite mansion,
on fine days, influenced by the anticipation of the season, they
are often observed to go in and out of the box, as if examining
and planning out their future domicile. Little pains, however,
are requisite for the protection of the hardy young, and a sub-
stantial lining of hay, and now anc then a few feathers, is all
that is prepared for the brcod beyond the natural shelter of
the chosen situation. As the Martin and House Wren seek
out the favor and convenience of the box, contests are not
unfrequent with the parties for exclusive possession; and the
latter, in various clandestine ways, exhibits his envy and hos-
tility to the favored Bluebird. As our birds are very prolific,
and constantly paired, they often raise 2 and sometimes prob-
ably 3 broods in the season; the male taking the youngest
under his affectionate charge, while the female is engaged in
the act of incubation.
Their principal food consists of insects, particularly beetles
and other shelly kinds; they are also fond of spiders and
grasshoppers, for which they often, in company with their
young, in autumn, descend to the earth, in open pasture fields
or waste grounds. Like our Thrushes, they, early in spring,
also collect the common wire-worm, or /udus, for food, as well
as other kinds of insects, which they commonly watch for,
while perched on the fences or low boughs of trees, and dart
after them to the ground as soon as perceived. They are
not, however, flycatchers, like the Sy/icolas and Muscicapas,
but are rather industrious searchers for subsistence, like the
Thrushes, whose habits they wholly resemble in their mode
of feeding. In the autumn they regale themselves on various
kinds of berries, as those of the sour-gum, wild-cherry, and
others ; and later in the season, as winter approaches, they
frequent the red cedars and several species of sumach for
their berries, eat persimmons in the Middle States, and many
other kinds of fruits, and even seeds, — the last never enter-
ing into the diet of the proper Flycatchers. They have also,
occasionally, in a state of confinement, been reared and fed
288 SINGING BIRDS.
on soaked bread and vegetable diet, on which they thrive as
well as does the Robin.
The song of the Bluebird, which continues almost uninter-
ruptedly from March to October, is a soft, rather feeble, but
delicate and pleasing warble, often repeated at various times
of the day, but most frequently in early spring when the sky
is serene and the temperature mild and cheering. At this
season, before the earnest Robin pours out his more energetic
lay from the orchard tree or fence-rail, the simple song of this
almost domestic favorite is heard nearly alone; and if at
length he be rivalled, at the dawn of day, by superior and
bolder songsters, he still relieves the silence of later hours by
his unwearied and affectionate attempts to please and accom-
pany his devoted mate. All his energy is poured out into this
simple ditty, and with an ecstatic feeling of delight he often
raises and quivers his wings like the Mocking Orpheus, and
amidst his striving rivals in song, exerts his utmost powers to
introduce variety into his unborrowed and simple strain. On
hearkening some time to his notes, an evident similarity to the
song of the Thrush is observable; but the accents are more
weak, faltering, and inclining to the plaintive. As in many
other instances, it is nearly impossible to give any approxi-
mating idea of the expression of warbled sounds by words; yet
their resemblance to some quaint expressions, in part, may not
be useless, as an attempt to recall to memory these pleasing
associations with native harmony: so the Bluebird often at
the commencement of his song seems tenderly to call in a
whistled tone ’hear— héar bitty, buty ? or merely hear — biity,
and instantly follows this interrogatory call with a soft and warb-
ling trill, So much is this sound like that which these birds
frequently utter that on whistling the syllables in their accent,
even in the cool days of autumn, when they are nearly silent,
they often resume the answer in sympathy. During the period
of incubation, the male becomes much more silent, and utters
his notes principally in the morning. More importantly
engaged, in now occasionally feeding his mate as well as him-
self, and perhaps desirous of securing the interesting occupa-
BLUEBIRD. 289
tion of his devoted consort, he avoids betraying the resort of
his charge by a cautious and silent interest in their fate. Gen-
tle, peaceable, and familiar when undisturbed, his society is
courted by every lover of rural scenery; and it is not un-
common for the farmer to furnish the Bluebird with a box, as
well as the Martin, in return for the pleasure of his company,
the destruction he makes upon injurious insects, and the cheer-
fulness of his song. Confident in this protection, he shows
but little alarm for his undisturbed tenement; while in the
remote orchard, expecting no visitor but an enemy, in com-
pany with his anxious mate he bewails the approach of the
intruder, and flying round his head and hands, appears by his
actions to call down all danger upon himself rather than suffer
any injury to arrive to his helpless brood.
Towards autumn, in the month of October, his cheerful song
nearly ceases, or is now changed into a single plaintive note
of ¢shay-wit, while he passes with his flitting companions over
the fading woods; and as his song first brought the welcome
intelligence of spring, so now his melancholy plaint presages
but too truly the silent and mournful decay of Nature. Even
when the leaves have fallen, and the forest no longer affords a
shelter from the blast, the faithful Bluebirds still linger over
their native fields, and only take their departure in November,
when at a considerable elevation, in the early twilight of the
morning, till the opening of the day, they wing their way in
small roving troops to some milder regions in the South. But
yet, after this period, in the Middle States, with every return
of moderate weather we hear their sad note in the fields or in
the air, as if deploring the ravages of winter; and so frequent
are their visits that they may be said to follow fair weather
through all their wanderings till the permanent return of spring.
If the Bluebird ever tried the climate of Labrador, it evidently
discovered that the weather there was not suitable, for now it rarely
goes north of latitude 45°. A few pairs are seen every season
about the farm-lands on the upper St. John, in New Brunswick,
and Philip Cox has seen several at Newcastle, near the mouth of
the Miramichi. Comeau found a pair breeding at Godbout, and
Thompson reports that they have lately entered Manitoba.
VOL. I.—19
WHEATEAR.
SAXICOLA CENANTHE.
Cuar. Above, bluish gray; forehead and stripe over eyes white;
patch on cheek and wings black; rump white; middle tail-feathers black,
rest white, broadly tipped with black; under parts white. In the female
the upper parts are brown, and under parts buff. Length 6% inches.
Vest. Ina crevice of a stone wall or a stone heap; made of plant
stems and grass, lined with feathers, hair, or rabbit’s fur.
Eggs. 5-7; pale blue, sometimes spotted with pale tawny, or purple;
0.85 X 0.65.
The first mention of the occurrence of this species in eastern
America appeared in Holbdll’s account of the birds of Greenland,
issued in 1846; it had been reported previously from the Pacific
coast by Vigors. In 1854 the name appeared in Cassin’s work,
and in Baird’s “ Report” of 1859 it was recorded as “accidental
in the northern part of North America.”
It should not be termed accidental at the present day, for it
occurs regularly in Greenland and Labrador and at Godbout, on
the St. Lawrence, and has been taken in winter in Nova Scotia,
Maine, New York, Long Island, Louisiana, and Bermuda.
American writers formerly gave the vernacular name as “ Stone-
chat,” or “Stone Chat,”’—Coues alone adding Wheatear (as a
synonym).
WHEATEAR. 291
The Stonechat is a different bird, though Magillivray called
the present species the “ White-rumped Stonechat.” Throughout
Europe the bird is commonly known as the “ White-rump,” and
Saunders considers the name “ wheatear” a corruption of whzte
and @rs,—the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the modern word
“rump.”
In Europe and Asia the species is abundant, breeding from cen-
tral Europe far to the northward, and migrating in winter to north
ern Africa. A few winter in the British Islands, though these may
be of the Greenland race, which some authors think is a distinct
form, — larger than those that breed in Europe,—as the Green-
land birds are known to migrate across Great Britain. Ridgway
states that the examples taken on our western coast are smaller and
more like those found in central Europe.
Formerly large numbers were trapped in the autumn on the
Southdowns in England, and marketed, being considered little
inferior in delicacy to the famous Ortolans.
The favorite resorts of the Wheatear at all seasons are the lonely
moors or open meadows by the sea-shore. It is an active bird and
always alert, keeping up a perpetual flitting. It is very terrrestrial,
though the Greenland race is said to perch on trees more fre-
quently than the European bird.
The song is sweet and sprightly, and the male often sings while
hovering over his mate.
Mr. Hagerup writes to me that the birds in Greenland sing at
times very similarly to the Snow Buntings, —a song that he never
heard from the Wheatears of Denmark, — and this song is ren-
dered by both females and males. Seebohm writes: ‘‘ The love
notes form a short but pleasing song; and the more particularly
are we apt to view his performance with favor, because it gener-
ally greets the ear in wild and lonely places.” And again: “Some-
times he warbles his notes on his perch, accompanying them with
graceful motion of the wings, and finally launching into the air to
complete his song, the aerial fluttering seeming to give the perform-
ance additional vigor.” Dixon has seen ‘‘ two Wheatears in the
air together, buffeting each other, and singing lustily all the time,
with all the sweetness that love rivalry inspires.”
AMERICAN PIPIT.
TITLARK.
ANTHUS PENSILVANICUS.
Cuar. Above, olive brown, edges of the feathers paler; line over
and around the eye pale buff; wings dusky, edges of feathers pale brown;
tail dusky, middle feathers olive brown, large patches of white on outer
feathers ; below, dull buff, breast and sides spotted with brown. Length
6% inches.
Nest. On the ground, usually sheltered by stone or mound; a bulky
affair of grass, stems, moss, and lichens, — sometimes only grass is used,
— often loosely made, occasionally compact.
Lges. 4-6; variable in color, usually dull white covered thickly with
reddish brown and purplish brown; sometimes the markings so nearly
conceal the ground color as to give appearance of a brown egg with
gray streaks; 0.80 X 0.60.
This is a winter bird of passage in most parts of the United
States, arriving in loose, scattered flocks from the North, in
the Middle and Eastern States, about the second week in
October. In the month of April we saw numerous flocks
flitting over the prairies of Missouri, on their way, no doubt,
to their breeding quarters in the interior. Audubon found
these birds also in the summer on the dreary coast of Labra-
dor. During the breeding season the male often rises on wing
to the height of eight or ten yards, uttering a few clear and
AMERICAN PIPIT. 293
mellow notes, and then suddenly settles down near the nest or
on some projecting rock. ‘They leave Labrador and New-
foundland as soon as the young are able to fly, or about the
middle of August. According to their well-known habits, they
frequent open flats, commons, and ploughed fields, like a
Lark, running rapidly along the ground, taking by surprise their
insect prey of flies, midges, and other kinds, and when rest-
ing for an instant, keeping the tail vibrating in the manner of
the European Wagtail. They also frequent the river shores,
particularly where gravelly, in quest of minute shell-fish, as
well as aquatic insects and their larve. At this time they
utter only a feeble note or call, like sweet éweéez, with the final
tone often plaintively prolonged ; and when in flocks, wheel
about and fly pretty high, and to a considerable distance before
they alight. Sometimes families of these birds continue all
winter in the Middle States, if the season prove moderate. In
the Southern States, particularly North and South Carolina,
they appear in great flocks in the depth of winter. On the
shores of the Santee, in January, I observed them gleaning
their food familiarly amidst the Vultures, drawn by the rubbish
of the city conveyed to this quarter. They likewise frequent
the cornfields and rice-grounds for the same purpose. They
emigrate to the Bermudas, Cuba, and Jamaica, and penetrate
in the course of the winter even to Mexico, Guiana, and
Brazil. They also inhabit the plains of the Oregon. They
are again seen on their return to the North, in Pennsylvania,
about the beginning of May or close of April.
The Titlark is distributed over North America at large, breed-
ing in subarctic regions and wintering in the Gulf States and
Central America. During the autumn migrations it is abundant
on the moorlands along the coasts of New England and the
Maritime Provinces.
Note. — Two European congeners of the Titlark, the WHITE
Wactalt (Motacilla alba) and the MEapow Pipir (Authus pra-
tensis) ave been captured in Greenland, but should be considered
merely as “ accidentals” in that region.
SPRAGUE’S PrPIT (Anthus spragueii), a bird of the western
plains, has been taken near Charleston, S.C,
HORNED LARK.
SHORE LARK.
OTOCORIS ALPESTRIS.
Cuar. Above, dull grayish brown streaked with darker; nape, shoul.
ders, and rump pink-vinaceous cinnamon; black bar across forehead and
along sides of head, terminating in erectile horn-like tufts; throat and
line over the eyes, yellow; black bar from nostril curving below the eyes;
below, dull white, shaded on the sides with same color as back; breast
tinged with yellow and bearing large black patch; middle tail-feathers
like back, the rest black, with white patches on outer pair. Length about
7% inches.
Vest. On the ground, amid a bed of moss; composed of grass, lined
with feathers.
Eggs. 4-5; dull white with buff or purple tint spotted with purplish
brown or olive brown and lilac; 0.93 X 0.70.
This beautiful species is common to the north of both the old
and new continent ; but, as in some other instances already re-
marked, the Shore Lark extends its migrations much farther over
America than over Europe and Asia. Our bird has been met
with in the Arctic regions by the numerous voyagers, and Mr.
Bullock saw it in the winter around the city of Mexico, so that
in their migrations over this continent these birds spread them-
selves across the whole habitable northern hemisphere to the
very equator; while in Europe, according to the careful obser-
HORNED LARK. 295
vations of Temminck, they are unknown to the south of Ger-
many. Pallas met with these birds round Lake Baikal and on
the Volga, in the 53d degree of latitude. Westward they have
also been seen in the interior of the United States, along the
shores of the Missouri.
They arrive in the Northern and Middle States late in the
fall or commencement of winter. In New England they are
seen early in October, and disappear generally on the approach
of the deep storms of snow, though straggling parties are still
found nearly throughout the winter. In the other States to
the South they are more common at this season, and are par-
ticularly numerous in South Carolina and Georgia, frequenting
open plains, old fields, common grounds, and the dry shores
and banks of bays and rivers, keeping constantly on the
ground, and roving about in families under the guidance of the
older birds, who, watching for any approaching danger, give
the alarm to the young in a plaintive call very similar to that
which is uttered by the Skylark in the same circumstances.
Inseparable in all their movements, like the hen and her fos-
tered chickens, they roost together in a close ring or com-
pany, by the mere edge of some sheltering weed or tuft of
grass on the dry and gravelly ground, and thickly and warmly
clad, they abide the frost and the storm with hardy indiffe-
rence. They fly rather high and loose, in scattered companies,
and follow no regular time of migration, but move onward only
as their present resources begin to fail. They are usually fat,
esteemed as food, and are frequently seen exposed for sale in
our markets. Their diet, as usual, consists of various kinds of
seeds which still remain on the grass and weeds they frequent,
and they swallow a considerable portion of gravel to assist
their digestion. They also collect the eggs and dormant
larvze of insects when they fall in their way. About the middle
of March they retire to the North, and are seen about the
beginning of May round Hudson Bay, after which they are
no more observed till the return of autumn. They arrive in
the fur countries along with the Lapland Buntings, with which
they associate ; and being more shy, act the sentinel usually to
296 SINGING BIRDS.
the whole company in advertising them of the approach of
danger. They soon after retire to the marshy and woody dis-
tricts to breed, extending their summer range to the Arctic Sea.
They are said to sing well, rising into the air and warbling as
they ascend, in the manner of the Skylark of Europe. ‘The
male,” says Audubon, like the Common Lark, “soars into the
air, sings with cheerfulness over the resort of his mate, and
roosts beside her and his nest on the ground, having at this
season a very remarkable appearance in the development of
the black and horn-like egrets.”
Happy Nuttall, to have died before “ variety making’ came into
fashion! You had but one form of Horned Lark to deal with,
while I am confronted with e/evez. Fortunately a large number of
these sub-species have never taken it into their horned heads to
cross into the territory under present consideration, so I am saved
from puzzling myself and my readers with their diagnosis.
The true a/pestris is found during summer in the region be-
tween the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Greenland west to Hudson
Bay, and in winter south to about latitude 35°. It is quite common
along the New England shores while migrating and in winter.
The PRAIRIE HORNED LarK (0. alpestris praticola) is a smaller
bird with very gray back ; line over eyes white; chin Jade yellow.
This race is found in summer along the upper Mississippi valley
and Great Lake region, eastward sparingly to Montreal, Vermont,
and Long Island. It is resident over the greater portion of its
range, but some few winter south to the Carolinas and Texas.
SKYLARK.
ALAUDA ARVENSIS.
Cuar. Above, yellowish brown streaked with dark brown, darkest on
back and crown; buff streak over the eye; wings brown, margined with
buff and tipped with white ; outer tail-feathers mostly white ; below, pale
buff, spotted and streaked with brown. Length about 7 inches.
Vest, In a meadow, under a tuft of grass; made of coarse and fine
grass.
£ggs. 3-5; dull gray, marked with olive brown; 0.95 X 0.70.
Although not mentioned by Nuttall, this European bird becomes
entitled to a place among the birds of America through its occur-
rence casually in Greenland and Bermuda. About 1886 a number
of these birds were liberated in New York State and New Jersey,
and in 1888 a colony appeared established at Flatbush, Long
Island; but the experiment has not been successful, for this colony
has disappeared, and Mr. Frank M. Chapman, writing in 1895,
says: “At the present time the species is not known to exist in
North America in a wild state.”
298 SINGING BIRDS.
DICKCISSEL.
BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.
SPIZA AMERICANA.
Cuar. Male: above, gray brown, middle of back streaked with
black; nape and side of head ash, crown olive streaked with dusky; line
over the eyes yellow; chin white; large patch of black on throat; two
wing-bars chestnut; edge of wing yellow; below, white tinged with yel-
low ; sides shaded with brown. Female: similar, somewhat smaller;
throat without patch, but with black spots; less tinge of yellow on lower
parts. Length 6 to 7 inches.
est. On the prairie or in a field or pasture or open scrubby woods ;
placed upon the ground or in a bush or low tree, sometimes 10 to 20
feet from ground; made of grass, weed-stalks, leaves, and roots, lined
with fine grass or hair.
£ggs. 4-5; pale greenish blue, unspotted; 0.80 X 0.60.
These birds arrive in Pennsylvania and New England from
the South about the middle of May, and abound in the vicinity
of Philadelphia, where they seem to prefer level fields, building
their nests on the ground, chiefly of fine withered grass. They
also inhabit the prairies of Missouri, the State of New York,
the remote northern regions of Hudson’s Bay, and are not un-
common in this part of New England, dwelling here, however,
almost exclusively in the high, fresh meadows near the salt-
marshes. Their song, simple and monotonous, according to
Wilson consists only of five notes, or rather two, the first
being repeated twice and slowly, the second thrice and rapidly,
resembling ¢shsp tship, tshe tshe tshé. With us their call is ’#e
tic — tshé tshé tshé tship, and tship tship, tshé tshé tshé tship.
From their arrival nearly to their departure, or for two or three
months, this note is perpetually heard from every level field of
grain or grass; both sexes also often mount to the top of some
low tree of the orchard or meadow, and there continue to
chirp forth in unison their simple ditty for an hour at a time.
While thus engaged they may be nearly approached without
exhibiting any appearance of alarm or suspicion; and though
the species appears to be numerous, they live in harmony, and
PIVIT.
1. Snowflake... 3. Black-Throated Bunting.
3. Scarlet Tanager.
2.White-Throated Sparrow. 4. Indigo Bunting.
DICKCISSEL. 299
rarely display any hostility to the birds around them, or
amongst each other. In August they become mute, and about
the beginning of September depart for the South, wintering as
well as breeding in Texas and other parts of Mexico, but are
not seen in the Southern States at any period of the winter.
Their food consists of seeds, eggs of insects, and gravel, and in
the early part of summer they subsist much upon caterpillars
and small coleopterous insects ; they are also among the many
usual destroyers of the ruinous cankerworm.
This species is now restricted chiefly to the valley of the Mis-
sissippi, though it occurs sparingly in southern New England, but
is merely accidental farther to the northward. The only examples
that have been met with in Canada were the few that Mr. William
E. Saunders found breeding at Point Pelee in southern Ontario.
Mr. William Brewster, writing of this species, says: “It is now
unquestionably one of the rarest species known to breed within
this region (New England). Moreover, within the past two de-
cades it has practically disappeared from the Middle States, where
it was formerly abundant, and at many localities west of the Alle-
ghanies and east of the Mississippi its numbers have diminished
steadily and more or less rapidly.”
NoTE. — TOWNSEND’S BUNTING (Spiza townsendiz ) was placed
on the “ Hypothetical List” by the A. O.U. Committee. The type
specimen taken by Mr. Townsend in Pennsylvania remains unique.
The Lark BunTING (Calamospiza melanocorys) has been seen
in Massachusetts and Long Island, — the only instances of its oc-
currence east of the Great Plains.
SNOWFLAKE.
SNOW BUNTING. WHITE SNOW BIRD.
PLECTROPHENAX NIVALIS.
Cuar. In summer, prevailing color white; middle of back, wings, and
tail mixed with black. In autumn the dark color is extended, the black
being broadly margined with tawny brown, which gradually becomes white
as winter advances. Length about 63¢ inches.
Vest. On a barren hillside, under shelter of a rock or in a stone heap,
sometimes in cavity of a sand-bank; compactly built of dry grass, plant
stems, and moss, lined with feathers and hair.
Eges. 4-6; dull white, with faint tint of blue or green, spotted, chiefly
around larger end, with reddish brown and lavender; 0.90 X 0.65.
This messenger of cold and stormy weather chiefly in-
habits the higher regions of the Arctic circle, whence, as the
severity of the winter threatens, they migrate indifferently over
Europe, eastern Asia, and the United States. On their way to
the South they appear round Hudson Bay in September, and
stay till the frosts of November again oblige them to seek out
warmer quarters. Earl: in December they make their descent
SNOWFLAKE. 301
into the Northern States in whirling roving flocks, either im-
mediately before or soon after an inundating fall of snow.
Amidst the drifts, and as they accumulate with the blast, flocks
of these :/wurs fogel, or bad-weather birds, of the Swedes, like
the spirits of the storm are to be seen flitting about in restless
and hungry troops, at times resting on the wooden fences,
though but for an instant, as, like the congenial Tartar hordes
of their natal regions, they appear now to have no other
object in view but an escape from famine and to carry ona
general system of forage while they happen to stay in the
vicinity. At times, pressed by hunger, they alight near the
door of the cottage and approach the barn, or even venture
into the out-houses in quest of dormant insects, seeds, or
crumbs wherewith to allay their hunger; they are still, how-
ever, generally plump and fat, and in some countries much
esteemed for the table. In fine weather they appear less rest-
less, somewhat more familiar, and occasionally even at this
season they chant out a few unconnected notes as they survey
the happier face of Nature. At the period of incubation they
are said to sing agreeably, but appear to seek out the most
desolate regions of the cheerless North in which to waste the
sweetness of their melody, unheard by any ear but that of their
mates. In the dreary wastes of Greenland, the naked Lapland
Alps, and the scarcely habitable Spitzbergen, bound with eter-
nal ice, they pass the season of reproduction seeking out the
fissures of rocks on the mountains in which to fix their nests
about the month of May or June. A few are known to breed
in the alpine declivities of the White Mountains of New
Hampshire. The nest is here fixed on the ground in the
shelter of low bushes, and formed nearly of the same materials
as that of the Common Song Sparrow.
At times they proceed as far south in the United States as
the State of Maryland. They are here genetally known by the
name of the WaAzze Snow Bird, to distinguish them from the
more common dark-bluish Sparrow, so called. They vary in
their color according to age and season, and have always a
great predominance of white in their plumage.
302 SINGING BIRDS.
The Snow Buntings are seen in spring to assemble in Nor-
way and its islands in great numbers ; and after a stay of about
three weeks they disappear for the season, and migrate across
the Arctic Ocean to the farthest known land. On their return
in winter to the Scottish Highlands their flocks are said to be
immense, mingling, by an aggregating close flight, almost into
the form of a ball, so as to present a very fatal and successful
mark for the fowler. They arrive lean, but soon become fat.
In Austria they are caught in snares or traps, and when fed
with millet become equal to the Ortolan in value and flavor.
When caged they show a very wakeful disposition, instantly
hopping about in the night when a light is produced. Indul-
gence in this constant train of action and perpetual watchful-
ness may perhaps have its influence on this species, in the
selection of their breeding places within the Arctic regions,
where for months they continue to enjoy a perpetual day.
The food of these birds consists of various kinds of seeds
and the larve of insects and minute shell-fish; the seeds of
aquatic plants are also sometimes sought by them, and I have
found in their stomachs those of the Ruppia, species of Poly-
gonum, and gravel. In a state of confinement they shell and
eat oats, millet, hemp-seed, and green peas, which they split.
They rarely perch, and, like Larks, live much on the ground.
This harbinger of winter breeds in the northernmost of the
American islands and on all the shores of the continent from
Chesterfield Inlet to Behring’s Straits. The most southerly of
its breeding stations in America, according to Richardson, is
Southampton Island, in the 62d parallel, where Captain Lyons
found a nest, by a strange fatality, placed in the bosom of the
exposed corpse of an Esquimaux child. Well clothed and
hardy by nature, the Snow Bunting even lingers about the forts
of the fur countries and open places, picking up grass-seeds,
until the snow becomes deep. It is only during the months
of December and January that it retires to the southward
of Saskatchewan, and it is seen again there on its return
as early as the middle of February, two months after which
it arrives in the 65th parallel, and by the beginning of May it
SNOWFLAKE. ~ 303
has penetrated to the coast of the Polar Sea. At this period it
feeds upon the buds of the purple saxifrage (Saxif/raga oppost-
tifolia), one of the most early of the Arctic plants.
As the Snow Bunting sometimes begins to visit the United
States in October, it appears pretty certain that some of these
birds breed almost, if not quite, within the northern limits of
the Union; and as stated elsewhere, a nest has been found
near the rocky summit of the White Mountains of New
Hampshire.
The Snow Bunting is usually restricted in summer to the higher
latitudes, — from Labrador and the Great Slave Lake region to the
Arctic Ocean, — but an occasional flock is seen farther southward,
and nests have been taken in the White Mountains. In winter
these birds range south to the Middle States, occasionally going as
far as “ Georgia and Kansas.” Numbers spend the winter in New
Brunswick, gathering in flocks of twenty to fifty. They are to be
seen about the suburbs of St. John as well as on the margins of
lakes in the deep forests.
Mr. A. Hagerup, who saw considerable of this bird when in
Greenland, writes to me that the song is a sweet and pleasing
melody, though rather disconnected, “ delivered in short stanzas.”
“Warbling,” he adds, “is perhaps the English word best suited to
describe its character.”
LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
CALCARIUS LAPPONICUS.
Cuar. Above, brownish black. the feathers edged with dull buff,
wing-feathers with dull bay; head and throat rich black (female and
young have the crown same as back); line from eyes and down side of
throat, white ; band of bright chestnut across hind-neck; tail with patches
of white on outer feathers ; below, dull white, breast and sides marked
with black; bill yellow, tipped with black; legs and feet black. Length
about 61% inches.
Vest. In swampy moorlands, amid deep moss or tuft of grass, or at
the base of a mound; composed of grass, plant-stems, roots, and moss,
lined with feathers or deer’s hair.
£ggs. 4-7; pale grayish brown or reddish brown, marked with dark
brown; 0.80 X 0.60.
This species generally inhabits the desolate Arctic regions of
both continents. In the United States a few stragglers from
the greater body show themselves in winter in the remote and
LAPLAND LONGSPUR. 305
unsettled parts of Maine, Michigan, and the Northwestern
Territories. Large flocks also at times enter the Union, and
contrary to their usual practice of resting and living wholly on
the ground, occasionally alight on trees. They leave the colder
Arctic deserts in the autumn, and are found around Hudson
Bay on their way to the South in winter, not making their
appearance there before November. Near Severn River they
haynt the cedar-trees, upon whose berries they now princi-
pally feed. They live in large flocks, and are so gregarious
that when separated from their own species, or in small par-
ties, they usually, in Europe, associate with the common Larks,
or, in America, they join the roving bands of Snow Birds. In
the fur countries they extend their migrations in the spring as
far as the 65th parallel, where they were seen about Fort
Franklin by the beginning of May ; at this time they fed much
upon the seeds of the Alpine arbutus. They feed principally
on seeds, and also on grass, leaves, buds, and insects. They
breed on small hillocks, among moss and stones, in open
marshy fields, and the nest is thickly and loosely constructed
of moss and grass, and lined with a few feathers and deer’s
hair. The Longspur, like the Lark, sings only as it rises in
the air, in which, suspended aloft, it utters a few agreeable and
melodious notes.
The Longspur occurs in winter in South Carolina, Kentucky,
and Kansas, though it is not common south of about 40°.
Of its song Mr. Hagerup writes to me: “It sounds best when
the bird, after mounting up in the sky, drops slowly to the earth
with extended wings. The song is not very long, but has a sweet,
flute-like tone, and though the melody is attractive, it is almost mel-
ancholy in its wild plaintiveness, — as, indeed, all the notes of this
species are.”
Note. — The CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (Calcarius or
natus) has been taken in Massachusetts and Long Island.
SMITH’S LONGSPUR (Calcarius pictus), which occurs in the in-
terior, — breeding from the Great Slave Lake district to the Arctic
Ocean, — is found, in winter, in Illinois,
VOL. I. —- 20
SCARLET TANAGER.
PrrRANGA ERYTHROMELAS.
CHAR. Male: scarlet, with black wings and tail. Male in winter:
similar to female, but with black wings and tail. Female and young:
above, olive ; wings and tail dusky, the feathers edged with olive; below,
greenish yellow. Length 7 to 7% inches.
Nest. Ina woodland grove, sometimes in an orchard, placed near the
extremity of a horizontal limb 10 to 20 feet from the ground; composed
of twigs, roots, or shreds of bark, and lined with roots, sometimes with
pine-needles.
£ggs. 3-5 (usually 4); dull white or with blue tinge, thickly marked,
with several shades of brown and lilac; 0.95 X 0.65.
This splendid and transient resident, accompanying fine
weather in all his wanderings, arrives from his winter station in
tropical America from the beginning to the middle of May,
and extends his migrations probably to Nova Scotia as well as
Canada. With the shy, unsocial, and suspicious habits of his
gaudy fraternity, he takes up his abode in the deepest recess
SCARLET TANAGER. 307
of the forest, where, timidly flitting from observation, he darts
from tree to tree like a flashing meteor. A gaudy sylph, con-
scious of his brilliance and the exposure to which it subjects
him, he seems to avoid remark, and is only solicitous to be
known to his humble mate, and hid from all besides. He
therefore rarely approaches the habitations of men, unless
perhaps the skirts of the orchard, where he sometimes, how-
ever, builds his nest, and takes a taste of the early and inviting,
though forbidden, cherries.
Among the thick foliage of the tree in which he seeks sup-
-port and shelter, from the lofty branches, at times we hear his
almost monotonous ship witee, tship-idee, or tshitkadee, tshit-
kadee repeated at short intervals and in a pensive undertone,
heightened by the solitude in which he delights to dwell. The
same note is also uttered by the female when the retreat of
herself and young is approached ; and the male occasionally
utters in recognition to his mate, as they perambulate the
branches, a low whispering '/az¢in a tone of caution and tender-
ness. But besides these calls on the female, he has also dur-
ing the period of incubation, and for a considerable time after,
a more musical strain, resembling somewhat in the mellowness
of its tones the song of the fifing Baltimore. The syllables
to which I have hearkened appear like ’¢shoove ‘wait watt
"vehowit wait, and ‘wait ‘vehdwit vea watt, with other addi-
tions of harmony for which no words are adequate. This
pleasing and highly musical meandering ditty is delivered for
hours, in a contemplative mood, in the same tree with his
busy consort. If surprised, they flit together, but soon return
to their favorite station in the spreading boughs of the shady
oak or hickory. The song resembles that of the Red-eyed
Vireo in its compass and strain, though much superior, the
‘wait wait being whistled very sweetly in several tones and
with emphasis, so that upon the whole, our Piranga may be
considered as duly entitled to various excellence, being harmless
to the farmer, brilliant in plumage, and harmonious in voice.
These birds only sojourn long enough to rear their single
brood, which are here fledged early in July, leaving us already
308 SINGING BIRDS.
for the South about the middle or close of August, or as soon
as the young are well able to endure the fatigue of an extensive
migration in company with their parents. The female shows
great solicitude for the safety of her only brood, and on an
approach to the nest appears to be in great distress and appre-
hension. When they are released from her more immediate
protection, the male, at first cautious and distant, now attends
and feeds them with activity, being altogether indifferent to
that concealment which his gaudy dress seems to require from
his natural enemies. So attached to his now interesting brood
is the Scarlet Tanager that he has been known, at all hazards,
to follow for half a mile one of his young, submitting to feed
it attentively through the bars of a cage, and, with a devotion
which despair could not damp, roost by in the branches of the
same tree with its prison; so strong, indeed, is this innate and
heroic feeling that life itself is less cherished than the desire
of aiding and supporting his endearing progeny (Wilson).
The food of the Scarlet Tanager while with us consists
chiefly of winged insects, wasps, hornets, and wild bees, as
well as smaller kinds of beetles and other shelly tribes; it
probably also sometimes feeds on seeds, and is particularly
partial to whortleberries and other kinds which the season
affords.
About the beginning of August the male begins to moult,
and then exchanges his nuptial scarlet for the greenish livery
of the female. At this period these birds leave us; and having
passed the winter in the celibacy indicated by this humble
garb, they arrive again among us on its vernal renewal, and
so soon after this change that individuals are at this time occa-
sionally seen with the speckled livery of early autumn, or with
a confused mixture of green and scarlet feathers in scattered
patches.
The Scarlet Tanager is common throughout this Eastern Prov-
ince north to about latitude 44°, and occurs sparingly along the
Annapolis valley, in Nova Scotia and along the valley of the St.
John in New Brunswick, also near the city of Quebec and in the
vicinity of Lake Winnipeg. It breeds from Virginia northward
and winters in northern South America. .
SUMMER TANAGER. 309
SUMMER TANAGER.
SUMMER RED-BIRD.
PIRANGA RUBRA.
Cuar. Male: rich vermilion, duller above. Female and young:
above, dull olive ; below, dull buff. Length about 7% inches.
Vest. On the edge of an open grove or by a roadside, placed near
the extremity of a horizontal limb; composed of grass, leaves, and vege-
table fibre, lined with grass.
£ggs. 3-4; bright green, sometimes with a tinge of blue, spotted,
chiefly near the larger end, with various shades of brown and purple ;
0.95 X 0.65.
This brilliant and transient resident, like the former species,
passes the greatest part of the year in tropical America, whence
in his gaudy nuptial suit he presents himself with his humble
mate in the Southern States in the latter end of April or by
the 1st of May. In Pennsylvania these birds are but rarely
seen, though in the warm and sandy barren forests of New
Jersey several pairs may usually be observed in the course of
every season; farther north they are unknown, ceding those
regions apparently to the scarlet species. They are not con-
fined to any particular soil, though often met with in bushy,
barren tracts, and are consequently common even to the west
of the Mississippi, in Louisiana and the Territory of Arkansas,
as well as Mexico; they also breed near the banks of that
river around Natchez.
The nest is built in the woods on the low, horizontal branch
of a tree, often in an evergreen 10 or 12 feet from the ground.
Both parents assist in incubation, and the young are fledged
by the middle or latter end of June. They only raise a single
’ brood in the season, and towards the middle or close of
August the whole party disappear on their way to the South,
though the young remain later than the old and more restless
birds.
The note of the male, like that of the Baltimore Bird, is said
to be a strong and sonorous whistle, resembling the trill or
310 SINGING BIRDS.
musical shake on the fife, and is frequently repeated. The
note of the female is a chattering, and appears almost like the
rapid pronunciation of Ahicky-tukky-tuk, tshicky-tukky-tuk, and
is chiefly uttered in alarm when any person approaches the
vicinity of her nest. From the similarity of her color to the
foliage of the trees, she is, however, rarely seen, and is usually
mute ; while the loquacity and brilliance of the male render
him, as he flits timidly and wildly through the branches, a most
distinguished and beautiful object.
The food of the Summer Red Bird is very similar to that of
the preceding species; bugs, beetles, and stinging bees make
part of his repast, as well as flies and cynips of various kinds,
after which he often darts about until hindered by the ap-
proach of night. The late suppers are probably necessary,
from the almost nocturnal habits of some of these insect
tribes. After the period of incubation, and until their depar-
ture, whortleberries and other kinds of berries form no incon-
siderable part of the food of these birds.
This species does not occur regularly north of New Jersey,
southern Ohio, and southern Illinois. Occasionally stragglers are
found in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and two examples have
been taken in New Brunswick, one in Nova Scotia, four near
Montreal, and one at Hamilton, Ontario.
Note. — Specimens of the LovisIANA TANAGER (Piranga
ludovictana) — a Western species — have been taken in New York,
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine.
INDIGO BUNTING.
PASSERINA CYANEA.
Cuar. Male: indigo blue, intense on head and throat, other parts
tinged with green; black bar from bill to eyes; wings and tail brown, the
edge of feathers tinged with blue. Female: above, brown; below, much
paler, with dark streaks. Length about 5% inches.
Nest. On the margin of a meadow or country road, or in an orchard
or garden, in a bush or low tree, placed in an upright crotch; a rather
INDIGO BUNTING. 311
clumsy and bulky affair of twigs, stems, grass, etc., lined with fine grass,
etc., sometimes with horse-hair.
£ges. 4-5; white, sometimes with blue or green tint, occasionally with
a few fine spots of purplish brown; 0.75 X 0.55.
This very beautiful and rather familiar messenger of summer,
after passing the winter in tropical America, towards the 15th
of May, decked in his brilliant azure livery of the nuptial sea-
son, again joyfully visits his natal regions in the Middle States ;
and about a week or ten days later his lively trill in the garden,
orchard, or on the top of the house, its chimney, or vane, is
first heard in this part of New England. Still later, accompa-
nied by his mate, he passes on to Nova Scotia, and probably to
the precincts of Labrador. After raising and training their
only brood in a uniform and more humble dress, the whole
family, in color like so many common Sparrows, begin to
retire to the South from the first to the middle of September.
They are also known in Mexico, where, as well as in the
Southern States to the peninsula of Florida, they breed and
pass the summer as with us. There is reason, however, to
believe that they are less abundant, if seen at all, to the west
of the Mississippi; but yet they are met with in the Western
States up to the alluvial lands of that great natural boundary.
Their food in the early part of the season, as well as that of
their young for a considerable time, is chiefly insects, worms,
and caterpillars, as well as grasshoppers, of which they are
particularly fond. They likewise eat seeds of various kinds,
and are readily reared in a cage on the usual diet of the
Canary.
Though naturally shy, active, and suspicious, particularly the
brilliant male, they still at this interesting period of procrea-
tion resort chiefly to the precincts of habitations, around which
they are far more common than in the solitary woods, seeking
their borders or the thickets by the sides of the road; but
their favorite resort is the garden, where, from the topmost
bough of some tall tree which commands the whole wide land-
scape, the male regularly pours out his lively chant, and con-
tinues it for a considerable length of time. Nor is this song
312 SINGING BIRDS.
confined to the cool and animating dawn of morning, but it
is renewed and still more vigorous during the noon-day heat
of summer. This lively strain seems composed of a repeti-
tion of short notes; commencing loud and rapid, and then,
slowly falling, they descend almost to a whisper, succeeded by
a silent interval of about half a minute, when the song is again
continued as before. The most common of these vocal expres-
sions sounds like she tshe tshe — thé tshéé tshéé — tshé tshé
tshe. The middle syllables are uttered lispingly, in a very
peculiar manner, and the three last gradually fall; sometimes
the song is varied and shortened into ¢shea tshea tshea tshréh,
the last sound being sometimes doubled. This shorter song
is usually uttered at the time that the female is engaged in
the cares of incubation, or as the brood already appear, and
when too great a display of music might endanger the retiring
security of the family. From a young or imperfectly moulted
male, on the summit of a weeping-willow, I heard the following
singularly lively syllables, ’#e ’We ’ée td lee, repeated at short
intervals. While thus prominently exposed to view, the little
airy minstrel is continually on the watch against any surprise,
and if he be steadily looked at or hearkened to with visible
attention, in the next instant he is off to seek out some securer
elevation. In the village of Cambridge I have seen one of
these azure, almost celestial musicians, regularly chant to the
inmates of a tall dwelling-house from the summit of the chim-
ney or the point of the forked lightning-rod. I have also
heard a Canary, within hearing, repeat and imitate the slowly
lisping trill of the Indigo Bird, whose warble indeed often
greatly resembles that of this species. The female, before
hatching her brood, is but seldom seen, and is then scarcely
distinguishable from a common Sparrow ; nor is she ever to be
observed beyond the humble bushes and weeds in which she
commonly resides.
The nest of our bird is usually built in a low bush partly con-
cealed by rank grass or grain; at times in the forks of a young
orchard tree to or 12 feet from the ground. I have also seen
one suspended in a complicated manner in a trellised grape-
INDIGO BUNTING. 313
vine. If left undisturbed, they often build in the same garden
or orchard for several successive years. When in a bush, the
nest is suspended betwixt two twigs, passing up on either side.
Externally it is composed of coarse sedge-grass, some withered
leaves, and lined with fine stalks of the same, and the slender
hair-like tops of the bent-grass (Agrostis), with a very few
cow-hairs ; though sometimes they make a substantial lining of
hair. The nest which I saw in the vine was composed out-
wardly of coarse strips of bass-mat, weeds, and some strings
picked up in the garden, and lined with horse-hair and a few
tops of bent-grass. The young here scarcely leave the nest
before the end of July or the first week in August, and they
raise usually but a single brood in the season. They appear
to show great timidity about their nest, and often readily for-
sake it when touched, or when an egg is abstracted. Their
usual note of alarm when themselves or their young are
approached is a sharp ¢s47p, quickly and anxiously repeated,
resembling almost the striking of two pebbles. They will not
forsake their young, however ready they may be to relinquish
their eggs; and they have been known to feed their brood
very faithfully through the bars of a cage in which they were
confined.
This species is a common summer resident from South Carolina
to western Maine and the city of Quebec, and westward through
Ontario and Illinois to the Great Plains. It also occurs occasion-
ally in eastern Maine and the Maritime Provinces.
NoTE. — One example of the VARIED BuNTING (Passerina
versicolor) has been captured in southern Michigan. Its usual
-habitat is the valley of the Rio Grande and Lower California.
314 SINGING BIRDS.
e
PAINTED BUNTING.
NONPAREIL,
PASSERINA CIRIS.
CHar. Male: head and neck blue; eyelids red; back yellowish
green; rump red; wings dusky, glossed with green; tail purplish brown:
below, vermilion. Female: above, olive; below, buff; wings and tail
dusky edged with olive. Length 5% inches.
Nest. In a thicket of low bushes; compactly made of twigs, roots,
shreds of bark and grass, lined with fine grass or horse-hair, or fine roots.
£gegs. 4-5; dull white, or with blue tint, marked chiefly around larger
end with purplish and reddish brown; 0.80 X 0.60.
This splendid, gay, and docile bird, known to the Americans
as the onparei, and to the French Louisianians as the Page,
inhabits the woods of the low countries of the Southern States,
in the vicinity of the sea and along the borders of the larger
rivers, from North Carolina to Mexico. It arrives from its
tropical quarters in Louisiana and Georgia from the middle
to the zoth of April; but impatient of cold, retires to the
South early in October, and is supposed to winter about Vera
Cruz. For the sake of their song as well as beauty of plum-
age, these birds are commonly domesticated in the houses of
the French inhabitants of New Orleans and its vicinity; and
some have succeeded in raising them in captivity, where plenty
of room was allowed in an aviary. They are familiar also in
the gardens and orchards, where their warbling notes are al-
most perpetually heard throughout the summer. Their song
much resembles that of the Indigo Bird, but their voice is
more feeble and concise. Soon reconciled to the cage, they
will sing even a few days after being caught. Their food con-
sists of rice, insects, and various kinds of seeds; they collect
also the grains of the ripe figs, and, frequenting gardens, build
often within a few paces of the house, being particularly
attached to the orangeries.
Their nests are usually made in the hedges of the orange, or
on the lower branches of the same tree, likewise occasionally
in a bramble or thorny bush. In the mildest climates in which
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 315
they pass the summer, they raise two broods in the season.
They are commonly caught in trap-cages, to which they are
sometimes allured by a stuffed bird, which they descend to
attack; and they have been known to survive in domestica-
tion for upwards of ten years.
This species is common in the South Atlantic and Gulf States,
and has been taken north to southern Illinois and North Carolina.
NotTe.— The Grassquit (Euetheia bicolor) and the MELO-
DIOUS GRASSQUIT (Luetheia canora) — both West India birds —
have been taken in southern Florida, though they are merely
accidental wanderers there.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.
ZONOTRICHIA LEUCOPHRYS.
Cuar. Upper parts grayish brown, streaked with dull bay, and pale
ash; crown white, bordered by bands of black; lines of black and white
from eyes to hind neck; wings with two white bars; tail dusky; below,
gray, whitening on throat and belly; flanks shaded with brown. Length
about 7 inches,
Nest. In an open woodland, on the ground or in a low bush, —
usually concealed in grass at the foot of a bush; firmly made of dried
grass lined with fine grass, —sometimes with deer’s hair or feathers, or
roots,
Eggs. 4-6; greenish white or bluish white thickly spotted with red-
dish brown; 0.90 X 0.65.
This rare and handsome species is very little known in any
part of the United States, a few stragglers only being seen
about the beginning of winter, and again in May or earlier, on
their way back to their Northern breeding-places, in the fur
countries and round Hudson’s Bay, which they visit from the
South in May, and construct their nests in June in the vicinity
of Albany Fort and Severn River. These are fixed on the
ground, or near it, in the shelter of the willow-trees which
they glean, probably with many other birds, for the insects
which frequent them.
316 SINGING BIRDS.
At this season the male sings in a loud, clear, musical, but
rather plaintive tone, the song consisting of six or seven notes ;
these he repeats at short intervals during the whole day. On
the 13th of April, 1835, I saw flocks of this species among
the thickets in the vicinity of Santa Barbara, Upper California.
They sung with a feeble, quaint note, to me unlike that of any
other species, and almost similar to some of the notes of the
Chickadee. As they depart from Hudson Bay in September,
it is probable that they principally winter in the Canadian
provinces, otherwise, as passengers farther south, they would
be seen more abundantly in the United States than they are.
Indeed, as they approach this part of New England only in
small desultory parties in the winter, as in November and
December, it is evident that they only migrate a short distance
in quest of food, and return to the North at the approach of
fine weather. While here they appear silent and solitary, and
are not difficult to approach. ‘Their food, as usual, is seeds of
grasses, insects, and their larve.
This species is not so rare in our day as Nuttall evidently con
sidered it, for it now occurs quite regularly throughout this Eastern
Province, though likely to appear in irregular numbers at any given
locality. It breeds in northern Maine and New Brunswick, and
north to sub-arctic regions. Nests have been found also in Ver-
mont and New York. The birds are met with in winter from
southern New England southward to Mexico,
LARK SPARROW.
LARK FINCH.
CHONDESTES GRAMMACUS.
Cuar. Above, grayish olive; the back brown, with fine streaks of
black ; tail black, — excepting central feathers, — tipped with white, outer
web of outer pair entirely white; crown chestnut, with median line of
dull white; line over the eye dull white ; white crescent under the eyes
bordered by black, and behind by chestnut; below white tinged with
brown ; breast with patch of black. Length 6 to 6% inches.
Nest. Usually amid a tuft of grass, but sometimes in a tree or bush;
composed of grass and vegetable fibre.
Eggs. 3-5 (usually 4); white or with blue or buff tint, marked with
spots and lines of dark brown or black; 085 X 0.65.
For this species we are again indebted to Mr. Say, who ob-
served it in abundance near the Council Bluffs and the neigh-
boring country of the Missouri in the spring, as well as in the
month of June. It appears to be wholly confined to the west
side of the Mississippi, and probably extends into Mexico.
These birds frequent the prairie grounds, and seldom if ever
alight on trees; they sing sweetly, and, like the Larks, have
the habit of continuing their notes while on the wing.
Mr. Townsend observes : “This species inhabits several hun-
dred miles of the Platte plains in great numbers, as well as the
banks of the Columbia River. It generally affects the low
bushes of wormwood (Artemisia), from the summit of which
318 SINGING BIRDS.
it pours forth a variety of pretty notes.” At the commence-
ment of the pairing season the males are very pugnacious,
fighting often on wing, and the conquering rival, repairing to
the nearest bush, tunes his lively pipe in token of success.
The Lark Finch is common along the Mississippi valley north to
Iowa and southern Michigan. It has been taken occasionally in
Manitoba and in Ontario, and a few examples have appeared in
New England, and southward along the Atlantic coast to Florida.
It is said to resemble the Grass Finch in general habits, and its
song is somewhat similar.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.
PEABODY BIRD—OLD TOM PEABODY.
ZONOTRICHIA ALBICOLLIS.
CuHar. Back streaked, reddish brown, black and dull buff; sides of
head and rump ashy; crown with median stripe of white bordered by
stripes of black; stripes of yellow from bill to eyes; stripes of white over
eyes; stripes of black through eyes; throat white; under parts grayish
shading to white on the belly, the sides shaded with brown; wings with
two white bars. Length 63% to 7 inches.
Nest. In an old meadow or open woodland, or on the edge of a grove;
placed on the ground upon a cushion of moss; composed of grass, stems,
roots, etc., lined with fine grass or roots, —sometimes with hair or
feathers.
Eggs. 4-8; pale greenish blue, thickly marked with several shades of’
reddish brown; 0.85 X 0.60.
These large and handsome Sparrows are seen in this part of
Massachusetts only as transient visitors at the approach of
winter, or in spring about the first week in May. In the
Middle and Southern States they pass the inclement season,
and appear there as a numerous species. A flock has been
observed in the State of New York in the month of January.
In their hibernal resorts they are seen in bands, and show a
predilection for thickets, swamps, small streams, and the bor-
ders of ponds, where, among the tall and bleaching weeds,
they continue to collect the seeds, and probably insect larve,
which constitute their usual fare. While here they keep.much
on the ground, and seek out cool and shady situations, scratch-
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. 319
ing up the fallen leaves in quest of worms and other insects,
and are at this time often very unsuspicious, allowing a near
approach without betraying any alarm; but when in large
flocks, they move about in timorous haste as soon as ap-
proached. About the 15th of April they leave the Middle
States, and retire to the high northern latitudes to breed, hav-
ing been seen in Labrador, Newfoundland, and the fur coun-
tries up to the 66th parallel in summer. At the period of
breeding the male sings with considerable energy and melody
already in the early spring; also before their departure to the
North, on fine mornings, they are heard to whisper forth a few
sweet and clear notes, as in a revery of the approaching hap-
piness of their more lively and interesting condition.
This Sparrow — known to the country people of the East as the
“Peabody Bird” and “ Kennedy Bird” — breeds abundantly in
the northern portions of New York and New England as well as
in the Maritime Provinces; and at the west in northern Michigan
and Manitoba. According to Mr. Brewster, this bird breeds also
“very commonly on Mount Graylock, sparingly in the northern
part of Worcester County, Massachusetts, and occasionally in
eastern Massachusetts.” The bird winters sparingly in southern
New England, and commonly thence southward to Florida. _
The song, which is loud and sweet, is familiar in the district
where the birds build, for they sing all day long, and are often
heard during the night. It has been interpreted ped-ped-pedbody-
pedbody-pedbody ; hence the name.
oN
ANAK
AAAI iP X—
Gy BUS
VESPER SPARROW,
GRASS FINCH. BAY-WINGED BUNTING.
POOCATES GRAMINEUS.
Cuar. Above, yellowish brown, streaked with darker; line over and
around eyes, white; shoulder chestnut or bay; two white bars on wing;
two outer tail-feathers partly white ; below, white with buffy tinge; breast
and sides streaked with brown. Length about 6% inches.
Nest. Ina field, old meadow, open pasture, or roadside, on the ground,
— usually hidden by tuft of grass or under alow bush; composed of grass
and roots, and lined with fine grass, sometimes with hair.
£ges. 4-6; grayish white, sometimes with green or pink tint, thickly
marked with several shades of brown; 0 80 X 0.60.
This plain-looking Finch chiefly frequents dry pastures and
meadows, and is often seen perched on the fences and in
orchard trees; it also often approaches the public roads and
gathers its subsistence tamely from various sources. It is
abundant in all the States east of the Alleghanies, where many
pass the whole year ; yet great numbers also winter in the south-
ern parts of the Union, proceeding as far as the maritime
districts of Georgia and Florida. From the beginning of
April to the beginning of June, the males sing with a clear and
agreeable note, scarcely inferior to that of the Canary, though
less loud and varied. On their first arrival, as with the Song
Sparrow, their notes are often given in an under-tone of con-
siderable sweetness. ‘Their song begins at early dawn, and is
again peculiarly frequent after sunset until dark, when, from
VESPER SPARROW. 321
the fence of some elevated pasture-field, in the cool of the
summer evening, when other songsters have retired to rest, the
Grass Sparrow, more than usually wakeful, after a silence which
has perhaps continued nearly through the warmer part of the
day, pipes forth his clear and slender, though now almost mo-
notonous song, near to the favorite spot where his mate hatches
or fosters her tender brood; and from all the neighboring
meadows, at this silent hour, as the last rays of the sun are re-
flected from the dusky horizon, we hear a constant repetition
of an echoing and shrill tsh ’tsh 'tshé-te tshéte tshéte, with warb-
ling tones blended and varied, at the beginning and close of
this simple, rather pensive, but agreeable ditty. They are
more common in fields than thickets, and run along the ground
in the manner of the Lark. They likewise frequent ploughing
fields, searching on the ground for insects, and are very fond
of dusting themselves and basking in dry places.
Being nearly sedentary, they raise probably several broods
in the season. Sometimes when started from the nest, the
female simulates lameness with remarkable dexterity, so as
very readily to draw off the attention of her enemies or in-
truders. The young are easily raised from the nest, and
become very tame, clean, and domestic, but readily quarrel
with each other.
The “ Bay-winged Bunting ” of earlier writers was named “ Ves-
per Sparrow” by Wilson Flagg, from its habit of singing during
the early evening. It breeds from Virginia and Kentucky to Mani-
toba and the Maritime Provinces, and is one of the most abundant
Sparrows in New England and Ontario. It winters from Virginia
southward.
The song is much more effective than Nuttall’s description indi-
cates. The voice is of sweet tone, and the theme, though simple,
is exceedingly tender and plaintive.
VOL. I. — 21
SONG SPARROW.
MELOSPIZA FASCIATA.
CuHar. Back streaked with black, bay, and ash; crown bay, streaked
with black and with two stripes of ash; wings grayish brown edged with
dull rufous ; tail grayish brown, with dark wavy cross-bars ; below, white j
breast, sides of throat, and sides of body spotted with brown, the spots
forming a “ patch ” on the breast. Length 6 to 6% inches.
Nest. Ina field or open pasture, amid a tuft of grass or under a low
bush, sometimes fastened to bush or vine, occasionally placed in a cavity
in a tree; composed of twigs, grass, roots, and leaves, lined with grass
and roots, or hair.
Leggs. 3-7 (usually 4 or 5); dull white or with tint of green, blue, or
pink, thickly marked with several shades of brown ; occasionally un-
spotted ; 0.80 X 0.60.
This familiar and almost domestic bird is one of the most
common and numerous Sparrows in the United States; it is
also, with the Bluebird, which it seems to accompany, one
of the two earliest, sweetest, and most enduring warblers.
SONG SPARROW. 323
Though many pass on to the Southern States at the commence-
ment of winter, yet a few seem to brave the colds of New
England as long ‘as the snowy waste does not conceal their
last resource of nutriment. When the inundating storm at
length arrives, they no longer, in the sheltering swamps and
borders of bushy streams, spend their time in gleaning an in-
sufficient subsistence, but in the month of November begin to
retire to the warmer States; and here, on fine days, even in
January, whisper forth their usual strains. As early as the 4th
of March, the weather being mild, the Song Sparrow and the
Bluebird here jointly arrive, and cheer the yet dreary face of
Nature with their familiar songs. The latter flits restlessly
through the orchard or neighboring fields; the Sparrow, more
social, frequents the garden, barn-yard, or road-side in quest
of support, and from the top of some humble bush, stake, or
taller bough tunes forth his cheering lay, in frequent repetitions,
for half an hour or more at atime. These notes have some
resemblance to parts of the Canary’s song, and are almost
uninterruptedly and daily delivered, from his coming to the
commencement of winter. When the birds first arrive, while
the weather is yet doubtful and unsettled, the strain appears
contemplative, and is often delivered in a peculiarly low and
tender whisper, which, when hearkened to for some time, will
be found more than usually melodious, seeming as a sort of
revery, or innate hope of improving seasons, which are recalled
with a grateful, calm, and tender delight. At the approach of
winter, this vocal thrill, sounding like an Orphean farewell to
the scene and season, is still more exquisite, and softened by
the sadness which seems to breathe almost with sentiment,
from the decaying and now silent face of Nature. Our song-
ster, never remarkable for sprightliness, as the spring advances
delivers his lay louder and more earnestly. He usually begins
with a ¢sh’ tsh’ tshé te tshéte tshéte, and blends in a good deal of
quivering notes. Individuals also excel, and vary their song from
time to time with very agreeable effect ; and it is only because
our familiar vocalist is so constantly heard and seen that so little
value is set upon his agreeable, cheerful, and faithful perform-
324 SINGING BIRDS.
ance. When not attached to the garden, our Sparrow seems
fond of frequenting low bushy meadows, streams, swamps, and
watery situations, which afford him ready shelter, and his usual
food of worms, insects, larvae, and seeds. Such situations are
also their favorite resorts when, in gregarious and miscellaneous
flocks with other congeneric kinds, they are seen to crowd the
sheltered marshes of the Southern States. They are also com-
monly seen nimbly running along the ground, and gliding
through low thickets in quest of their insect fare; and in fine
weather they dust themselves, and bask in the sun. They often
likewise frequent the water, being fond of washing ; and some-
times are seen to swim across small streams, particularly when
disabled from flying by a gunshot wound.
The nest is usually formed of a considerable portion of fine
dry grass neatly put together, and mostly lined with horse-hair.
These birds are very prolific, raising as many as three broods
in a season, the young being occasionally hatched, in the Mid-
dle States, from the close of April to the end of August. They
are very solicitous for the safety of their young, keeping up at
this time often a tiresome chirping ; and on the destruction of
the female and most of her young, I have known the remain-
ing male, with unceasing and anxious attention, raise a solitary
survivor of his ruined family with the most devoted affection.
As they keep the young and their habitation so very clean, and
are so prolific, it is a matter of surprise that they do not re-
occupy the premises; instances are, however, not wanting in
which they have been known to raise two broods in the same
nest. Both parents join in the duty of incubation, and alter-
nately feed each other while so engaged.
This species nests from South Carolina to Lake Mistassini, and
from central Ohio and northern Illinois to Lake Winnipeg. It
arrives at St. John, N. B., during the second week in April in im-
mense flocks, and is usually accompanied by similar flocks of
Robins and Juncos. Occasionally a few winter in the Maritime
Provinces and in Quebec, while in eastern Massachusetts and Con-
necticut they are often quite numerous at that season.
SAVANNA SPARROW. 325
SAVANNA SPARROW.
GROUND SPARROW.
AMMODRAMUS SANDWICHENSIS SAVANNA.
Cuar. Above, streaked with grayish brown, black, rufous, and gray;
line over the eyes and edges of wings yellow; crown with median stripe
of yellowish white ; line from lower mandible yellowish white bordered
by brown; below, white tinged with buff, breast and sides streaked with
brown and black. Length 5% inches.
Vest. In a salt-marsh or along a river bank, sometimes in a dry
inland meadow, concealed by tall grass or tuft of weeds ; composed of
grass, sometimes mixed with fine roots, and occasionally lined with
horse-hair.
Eggs. 3-9; variable in shape, size, and markings, usually dull white
or with green tint, thickly spotted with dark brown, rich brown, and
lilac; 0.70 X 0.55
This Sparrow, allied to the preceding, but far less familiar, is
commonly seen in this part of New England from April to
October, migrating towards the South in severe weather, though
many pass the whole winter in the Middle States. In Georgia
and West Florida these birds are rather numerous in the cold
season, migrating in quest of food probably from the West;
and the whole species generally show a predilection for the
warm and sheltered vicinage of the sea, where the seeds and
insects they feed on are most abundant. On their first arrival
in Massachusetts they frequent the sandy beaches and shores
of the bays in quest of Cicindele and other coleopterous
insects which frequent such situations; and they are at this
time exceedingly fat, though their moult is not yet completed.
In summer this shy and timid species lives wholly in pastures
or grass fields, and often descends to the ground in quest of
food. Its nest, also laid in the grass and made of the dry
blades of the same, very similar to that of the Song Sparrow, is
usually built about the close of April.
In the month of March, in Georgia, I observed these Spar-
rows in the open grassy pine woods on the margins of small
swamps or “ galls.” At times they utter a note almost exactly
similar to the chirpings of a cricket, so that it might be easily
mistaken for that insect. At other times they utter a few
326 SINGING BIRDS.
pleasant notes somewhat similar to the song of the Song Spar-
row, but sufficiently distinct.
The Savanna Sparrow breeds more abundantly along the coast
of Massachusetts than in the interior, and perhaps this may apply
to all localities ; but the opinion expressed by many writers that it
is almost exclusively a bird of the sea-shore — of the salt-marshes
—is far from correct. I traced it up the valley of the St. John as far
as there were cleared fields or marshy meadows, and in no locality
was it more abundant than at Fort Kent, —the most northern point
of Maine. It occurs throughout the southern portions of Canada.
These birds are rarely seen off the ground; an occasional perch
on a stone heap or a fence being the only deviation from this rule.
IPSWICH SPARROW.
AMMODRAMUS PRINCEPS.
CHAR. General appearance of a large pale Savanna Sparrow. Above,
grayish brown, each feather streaked with black, rufous, and gray; crown
stripe dull buff or buffy white ; stripe over eyes similar but paler; wings
blackish brown, edged with buff; tail grayish brown tipped with white ;
beneath, dull white tinged with buff ; chest and sides streaked with brown.
Length 6 to 634 inches.
Vest. Ina cup-shaped hollow scratched in the sand and concealed by
a tussock of grass or a low bush; made of grass compactly woven, with
an outer shell of coarser materia] and lined with fine grass.
£ggs. 4-5; bluish or grayish white thickly marked with deep brown
of several shades and some spots of purplish and grayish brown;
0.61 X 0.85.
This interesting bird was first described by Mr. C. J. Maynard
from a specimen taken by him at Ipswich, Mass., in 1868. For
two years the type remained unique, and for several years later the
_ Species was supposed to be rare. It has since been found all along
the Atlantic coast from Georgia to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It
usually frequents the sea-shore or salt-meadows near by, though
Mr. N. C. Brown reports that he has seen it at Lake Umbagog, in
the interior of Maine. I met with it in New Brunswick only for a
few days during the second week of April, 1883. When feeding
on the sandy shore (the snow still covered the fields), in company
with other Sparrows, it was not difficult to distinguish the Ipswich
from their congeners, but it is difficult to define the distinguishing
characteristics.
BACHMAN’S SPARROW, 327
In 1894 Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., visited Sable Island, off Nova
Scotia, and obtained several nests of this species with sets of eggs.
His monograph, issued as a memoir of the Nuttall Ornithological
Club, contains the only account that has been published of the
habits of the bird, and from that paper I have taken the description
of the nest and eggs given above.
Dr. Dwight describes these birds as tamer than they appear
when on the migrations, yet they were so retiring he could not learn
much of their “domestic affairs.” The song, he says, is similar
to that of the Savanna Sparrow, but is “a more polished and
tuneful affair.”
BACHMAN’S SPARROW.
SUMMER FINCH.
PEUCHA ASTIVALIS BACHMANIIL.
Cuar. Above, rufous streaked with black and ash; lines over the
eyes ash; edge of wing yellow; below, buff, sides shaded with ash, breast
with brown. Length 6% inches.
Nest. In open grassy woodland, half-cleared field, or old meadow;
placed on the ground ; made of dry grass or mixed with roots ; sometimes
the top is roofed, the entrance at the side.
Eggs. 4-5; white; 0.75 X 0.60.
This interesting species was first made known to Audubon
by Dr. Bachman, who found it near the Edisto River, and
afterwards breeding in the vicinity of Charleston, South Caro-
lina, in the pine barrens. The discoverer remarks of this
bird: “When I first heard its notes they so nearly resembled
those of the Towee Bunting that I took it to be that bird. As
soon as it is seen in the tall pine-trees where it usually sits to
warble out its melodious notes, it darts down and conceals
itself in the rank grass, through which it runs off like a mouse,
and is flushed with difficulty.” It is believed to breed on the
ground. It is said to be the finest songster of the Sparrow
family in the United States. Its notes are loud for the size of
the bird, and heard nearly alone in the region it frequents.
About the month of November it proceeds to migrate farther
south, though a few stragglers still remain throughout the
winter. According to Latham, its nest is usually on the ground
among the grass, under small bushes; it is composed of dry
328 SINGING BIRDS.
grass for the most part, and the eggs are dusky white. He
also adds that these birds inhabit Georgia the whole year,
frequenting fences, brushwood, and thickets.
Some years ago in Georgia in the month of March I ob-
served these Sparrows in the open grassy pine woods, on the
margins of small swamps or galls. On being suddenly sur-
prised, they often flew off a little distance, and then, if followed,
descended to the ground, and ran and hid closely in the tall
tufts of grass.
Their notes at this time were very long, piping, and ele-
vated, and resembling often ¢shé tship tship tship tship tship
tship, then tshe ch’ tsh’ tsh’ ts’h ts°h. Some of these notes were
as fine and lively as those of the Canary, — loud, echoing, and
cheerful.
The food of this species consists of grass seeds, coleoptera,
and a variety of small berries as they come in season. The
sexes are nearly alike in plumage.
This species occurs in the Gulf States and north to South Caro-
lina and southern Illinois, but the vicinity of Charleston, S. C., is
the only locality in which it has been found in abundance. Very
little is known of its habits or of its distribution.
Note. — The type of this species is larger and darker than
bachmanit. It is restricted to southern Georgia and Florida, and
has been named the PINE-woops SpaRRow (Peucea @stivalts).
LINCOLN’S SPARROW.
LINCOLN’S FINCH.
MELOsPIZA LINCOLNII.
Cuar. Above, streaked with brown, gray, and black; below, white ;
band across the breast and on sides brownish yellow. Length about
5% inches.
Nest. On the ground, amid low bushes, along the skirts of marshy
meadow, or on a dry grassy hillock in an open woodland; composed of
Tass.
e Eggs. 4-5; pale green or buffish, — sometimes almost white, — thickly
spotted and blotched with reddish brown and lilac; 0.80 X 0.60.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. 329
The habits of this boreal species, discovered by Audubon in
Labrador, are very similar to those of the Song Sparrow. Like
it, mounted on the topmost twig of some tree or tall shrub, it
chants for hours together; or, diving into the thicket, it hops
from branch to branch until it reaches the ground in quest of
its usual fare of insects and berries. It moves off swiftly when
watched, and if forced to take wing flies low and with rapidity
to some considerable distance. It is met with usually near
streams, in the sheltered valleys of that cold and desolate
region. By the 4th of July the young had left the nest, and in
August they had begun their migrations to the South. Speci-
mens have been obtained by Mr. W. Cooper near New York
city.
Lincoln’s Finch is now considered less “ boreal” in its distribu-
tion than Nuttall and his contemporaries supposed, for though it
has been found in Labrador and in the high Arctic regions of the
West, yet nests have been discovered in Nova Scotia, northern
New York, and Wisconsin, as well as on the higher mountains of
the West down nearly to the Mexican border. It is a rare bird
near the Atlantic, but is abundant along the Mississippi valley.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW.
YELLOW- WINGED SPARROW. YELLOW-WINGED BUNTING.
AMMODRAMUS SAVANNARUM PASSERINUS.
Cuar. Above, streaked with bay, black, buff, and ash; crown black-
ish, with median line of buff; lines over the eye buff; bend of wing bright
yellow; below, buff, shading to white on the belly. Length about 5
inches.
Nest, In a field, concealed by long grass; composed of grass, lined
with horse-hair.
£gegs. 4-5; white, spotted with rich brown and lilac; 0.75 X 0.60.
This smal] Sparrow is a summer resident in the United
States, in the distant territory of the Oregon, and is likewise,
according to Sloane, a common species in the savannas or
open glades of the island of Jamaica. From what little is
known of it as a bird of the United States, it appears to
330 SINGING BIRDS.
remain in the sheltered plains of the sea-coast of New York
and New Jersey until the very commencement of winter. It is
also observed in the lower parts of Pennsylvania ; and about the
middle of May, or later, they are occasionally seen in the gar-
dens in Cambridge, Mass., on their way apparently to some
other breeding-station. On these occasions they perch in
sheltered trees in pairs, and sing in an agreeable voice some-
what like that of the Purple Finch, though less vigorously. In
the West Indies they live much on the ground, and run like
Larks, flying low when flushed, and soon alighting. Their nest
is likewise fixed on the ground, among the grass, where they
collect their usual fare of seeds and insects.
The majority of local students of bird life to-day consider this
species more or less common in Massachusetts and Connecticut,
and it is known to occur in parts of the more northern New Eng-
land States, and in New York, Ohio, Ontario, and Michigan. One
example has been taken in New Brunswick. Its supposed rarity
by earlier observers was probably due to its usual concealment
amid the tall grass and to its lack of an attractive song ; for in spite
of Nuttall’s assurance to the contrary, modern observers have in-
dorsed the opinion expressed by one of their leaders that “its best
vocalization is scarcely stronger or more musical than the stridula-
tion of a grasshopper.”
HENSLOW’S SPARROW.
HENSLOW’S BUNTING.
AMMODRAMUS HENSLOWII. «
CuHar. Above, streaked with olive brown, bay, and gray; crown olive
gray, with two blackish stripes; edge of wing yellow; below, buff, paler
on throat and belly; sides of throat and sides of body streaked with
black. Length about 5 inches.
Nest. In a field, concealed amid long grass; made of grass with a
lining of hair.
Eggs. 4-5; dull white, sometimes tinged with green, spotted with
brown and lilac; 0.75 X 0.60.
This species, so much allied to the Yellow-winged Finch
discovered by Audubon, is known to breed in New Jersey.
LE CONTE’S SPARROW. 331
As a winter bird of passage it is common in South Carolina,
and equally abundant in the pine forests of Florida, seeking
out by choice the light sandy soils overgrown with pines,
though it keeps on the ground wholly, running with celerity,
and threading its way through the grass with the nimbleness
of a mouse.
Henslow’s Sparrow breeds from southern New England to South
Carolina, and from Ontario and Illinois southward, and has been
found in New Hampshire and Vermont. It is more abundant to
the westward than near the Atlantic seaboard.
LE CONTE’S SPARROW.
LE CONTE’S BUNTING.
AMMODRAMUS LECONTEIL.
Cuar. General color reddish brown, streaked with brownish black,
the feathers margined with pale buff ; crown with two black stripes sepa-
rated by a narrow stripe of pale buffish gray; cheeks and stripes over the
eyes buff; hind neck rufous; under parts buff, paler on the belly; no
streaks on the breast. Bill small and slender; tail-feathers narrow,
tapering, and extremely pointed. Length about 5 inches.
Vest. Ina marsh or wet meadow, raised from the ground by tangled
grass; made of fine grass.
Eggs. 3-?; delicate pink, with a few spots of brownish and of black
towards the larger end; 0.75 X 0.50. (Thompson.)
This interesting bird was first described by Audubon in the 1843
edition of his work, —issued after Nuttall had written. Audubon
secured but one specimen, and only one other was discovered until
1873, when Dr. Coues took several examples on the Dakota plains.
Since then the species has been found by a number of naturalists,
and it is now known to breed on the plains of Dakota, Minnesota,
and Manitoba, migrating in the autumn through Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas, etc., to South Carolina and Florida. It is by no means
a rare bird, — Ridgeway thinks it abundant in Illinois, and Thomp-
son reports it common in Manitoba; but, as Dr. Coues suggests, its
retiring habits and the nature of its resorts have doubtless caused
it to be overlooked.
The birds resemble Henslow’s Sparrow, and the habits of the
two species are similar. Only one nest and set of eggs have been
discovered, and they were taken by Mr. Ernest Thompson on the
Manitoba plains.
TREE SPARROW.
SPIZELLA MONTICOLA.
CuHar. Above, streaked with black, bay, and buff; crown chestnut,
sometimes the feathers edged with ashy; sides of head and neck ashy ;
line from behind eyes chestnut ; wings with two white bars; edges of tail-
feathers white ; below, dull white, breast and throat tinged with ash ; spot
of brown on the breast; flanks shaded with brown. Length 6% inches.
Vest. On the ground or in a low bush; made of grass, twigs, and
roots, —sometimes cemented with mud, — lined with hair or feathers.
£ges. 4-5; pale green or greenish blue, spotted with reddish brown ;
0.75 X 0.60.
This handsome winter Sparrow arrives from the northern
regions in New England about the close of October, withdraw-
ing from Hudson Bay and the neighboring countries some-
time in the month of September. The species consequently,
like many more of our /77zgi//as, only measures its speed by
the resources of subsistence it is able to obtain, and thus
straggling southward as the winter advances, it enters Pennsyl-
vania only about the beginning of November ; there, as well as
in the maritime parts of Massachusetts, and perhaps as far
south as Virginia, the Tree Sparrow is often associated with
the hardy Snow Birds, gleaning a similar kind of subsistence ;
and when the severity of winter commences, leaving the woods,
gardens, and uplands in which it is an occasional visitor, it
seeks in company the shelter of some bushy swamp, thickly
shaded brook, or spring. Near Fresh Pond, in this vicinity,
CHIPPING SPARROW. 333
these birds are at that season numerous, and roost together
near the margin of the reeds, almost in the society of the
Blackbirds, who seek out a similar place of warmth and shelter
as the chilling frosts begin to prevail.
At this cool and gloomy season, and down to the close of
the first week in November, as they pass from branch to
branch and play capriciously round each other, they keep up
almost perpetually a low and pleasant liquid warble, not much
unlike that of the Yellow Bird (/ringilla tristis), but less
varied. Sometimes two or three at the same time will tune up
s'weedit s'weedit weet, and s’waidit s'waidit weet, accompanied
by some tremulous trilling and variation, which, though rather
sad and querulous, is heard at this silent season with peculiar
delight. In summer, during the breeding-time, they express
considerable melody.
According to Mr. Hutchins they breed around the Hudson
Bay settlements, making a nest in the herbage, formed exter-
nally of dry grass, and lined with soft hair or down, probably
from vegetables, in the manner of the Yellow Bird. About the
beginning of April they leave the Middle States for their sum-
mer quarters, and arrive around Severn River in May; they
also probably propagate in Newfoundland, where they have
been observed. With us they are still seen in numbers to the
roth of April.
Numbers of the Tree Sparrow winter regularly in the Maritime
Provinces of Canada. Macoun reports the species common in
summer at Lake Mistassini, which lies a little to the southward of
Hudson Bay.
CHIPPING SPARROW.
CHIPPY. HAIR-BIRD.
SPIZELLA SOCIALIS.
CuHar. Above, streaked with grayish brown, black, and bay ; crown
chestnut : forehead black; sides of head and neck ashy; dull white line
over eyes ; dusky stripe from bill through eyes; bill black; tail dusky
with pale edgings ; wings with two white bars; below, dull white, tinged
with ash on breast and sides. Length about 534 inches.
334 SINGING BIRDS.
Vest. Ina pasture, orchard, or garden, placed in a bush or low tree;
composed of grass, — sometimes mixed with roots, — thickly lined with
horse-hair.
£ggs. 4-5; bluish green, spotted, chiefly about the larger end, with
brown, black, and lilac; 0.70 X 0.50.
This species, with the Song Sparrow, is probably the most
numerous, common, and familiar bird in the United States,
inhabiting from Nova Scotia to Florida, westward to the banks
of the Missouri, and Mr. Townsend found it to be a common
species in the Territory of Oregon. Aware of the many para-
sitic enemies of the feathered race which it has to encounter,
who prowl incessantly, and particularly in quest of its eggs, it
approaches almost instinctively the precincts of houses, barns,
and stables, and frequently ventures into the centre of the
noisy and bustling city, to seek in the cultivated court an
asylum for its expected progeny. Soon sensible of favor or
immunity, it often occupies with its nest the thick shrubs of
the garden within a few yards of the neighboring habitation,
by the side perhaps of a frequented walk, in the low rose-bush,
the lilac, or any other familiar plant affording any degree of
shelter or security, and will at times regularly visit the thresh-
old, the piazza, or farm-yard for the crumbs which intention
or accident may afford it. On other occasions the orchard
trees are chosen for its habitation, or in the lonely woods an
evergreen, cedar, or fir is selected for the purpose. It makes
no pretensions to song, but merely chips in complaint when
molested, or mounting the low boughs of some orchard tree or
shrub, utters a quickly articulated ascending ’¢sh ’tsh 'tsh 'tsh
"tsh tshe tshe, almost like the jingling of farthings, and a little
resembling the faint warble of the Canary, but without any of
its variety or loudness. This note, such as it is, is continued
often for half an hour at a time, but is little louder than the
chirping of a cricket, and uttered by the male while attending
his brooding mate. For many weeks through the summer and
during fine weather this note is often given from time to time
in the night, like the revery of a dream.
The nest of the Chipping Bird varies sometimes consider-
ably in its materials and composition. The external layer,
CHIPPING SPARROW. 335
seldom so thick but that it may be readily seen through, is
composed of dry stalks of withered grass, and lined more or
less with horse or cow hair. The Cuckoo destroys many eggs
of this timid, harmless, and sociable little bird, as the nests are
readily discovered and numerous; on such occasions the little
sufferer expresses great and unusual anxiety for the security of
her charge, and after being repeatedly robbed, the female sits
closely sometimes upon perhaps only two eggs, desirous at any
rate to escape if possible with some of her little offspring. Two
or more broods are raised in the season.
Towards the close of summer the parents and their brood
are seen busily engaged collecting seeds and insects in the
neighboring fields and lanes, and now become so numerous, as
the autumn advances, that flitting before the path on either
side as the passenger proceeds, they almost resemble the
falling leaves of the season rustling before the cheerless blast ;
and finally, as their food fails and the first snows begin to
appear, advertised of the threatening famine, they disappear
and winter in the Southern States. In the month of January,
in Georgia, during the continuance of the cool weather and
frosty nights, I frequently heard at dusk a confused chirping or
piping like that of frogs, and at length discovered the noise to
proceed from dense flocks of the Chipping Sparrows roosting
or huddling near together in a pile of thick brush, where, with
the Song Sparrow also, they find means to pass the cool
nights.
The Chipping Sparrow occurs throughout the Maritime Prov-
inces and westward to the Rockies, northward to the Great Slave
Lake region, and southward to Florida. It is abundant in Quebec
and Ontario. It is very abundant in the Eastern States and the
Eastern Provinces.
Norte. — One example of BREWER’s SPARROW (Sfizella
brewer), a bird that dwells chiefly on the western slopes of the
Rockies, has been taken in Massachusetts.
336 SINGING BIRDS.
FIELD SPARROW.
SPIZELLA PUSILLA.
Cuar. Above, streaked rufous, black, and buff; crown chestnut, with
obscure median line of ash; hind neck, sides of head and neck ash; cheek
shaded with brown ; wings with two white bars; below, white; breast and
throat tinged with yellow; bill reddish brown. Length 534 inches.
Nest. Ina field, pasture, or open woodland, amid a tuft of grass or in
a tangled thicket, sometimes placed on a low bush or vine; composed of
grass, twigs, and straw, lined with hair, fine roots, or fur.
£eggs. 3-5; dull white or with buff or green tint, usually thickly spotted
with reddish brown; 0.70 X 0.55.
The Small Brown Sparrow arrives in Pennsylvania and New
England from the Southern States, where it passes the winter,
in the beginning of April. It is with us a shy, wild, and retir-
ing species, partial to dry hills and pastures, and open, bushy,
secluded woods, living much in trees. In autumn, indeed, the
pair, accompanied by their brood, in small flitting flocks leave
their native wilds, and glean at times in the garden or orchard ;
yet but little is now seen of them, as they only approach culti-
vated grounds a few weeks before their departure. These
Sparrows, if indeed they are the same as those described by
Wilson, in winter flock together in great numbers in the
Southern States, and mingling with the Chipping Birds and
other species, they now line the roads, fences, and straggling
bushes near the plantations in such numbers as, with their
sober and brown livery, to resemble almost a shower of rust-
ling and falling leaves, continually haunting the advancing
steps of the traveller in hungry, active flocks, driven by the
storms of winter into this temporary and irksome exile. But
no sooner does the return of early spring arrive than they flit
entirely from the Southern wilds to disperse in pairs and seek
out again their favorite natal regions of the North.
Our little bird has a pretty loud and shrill note, which may
be heard at a considerable distance, and possesses some variety
of tone and expression. Sometimes it is something like swe
twee twai, tw 'tw 'tw 'tw ’tw ‘tw ’tw, beginning loud and
FIELD SPARROW. 337
slow, and going up and down, shrill and quick, with a reverbe-
rating tone almost as rapid as the drumming of the Ruffed
Grouse. At other times the sound appears like # de de de de
@aad aa a@ dr, rapid and echoing; then weet weet weed
wat te’a’d’d’d’d’d, also weet weet weet wee! wt wl wf
wt trr; the whole of these notes rising and running together
into a short trill something like the song of the Canary, but
less varied, and usually in a querulous or somewhat plaintive
tone, though towards the close of summer I have heard indi-
viduals nearly as musical and warbling as the common Yellow
Bird. ‘These tones are also somewhat similar to the reverbera-
tions of the Chipping Bird, but quite loud and sonorous, and
without the changeless monotony of that species. In fact, our
bird would be worthy a place in a cage as a songster of some
merit. Like most of the Sparrows, the food of this species
consists of seeds and insects; and they also search the leaves
and branches at times in quest of moths, of which they appear
fond.
The Field Sparrow is a common summer resident of southern
New England, but is rather rare north of Massachusetts. It has
not been taken in the Maritime Provinces, though Mr. Neilson
thinks it not uncommon near the city of Quebec, and it is common
throughout Ontario and in Manitoba. It breeds southward to
South Carolina and winters from the Southern States southward.
Note. —A few examples of the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
(Spizella pallida) wander every year from their usual habitat on
the Great Plains to Iowa and Illinois.
VOL. I. —— 22
FOX SPARROW.
PASSERELLA ILIACA.
Cuar. Above, foxy red (brightest on wings and rump) streaked with
ash (in winter the ash is sometimes obscure); head and tail without
streaks; wings with two white bars; below, white spotted with red.
Length about 7 inches.
Nest. Amid moss, or on a low bush ; composed of grass and moss, lined
with grass, roots, and feathers.
£ggs. 4-5; white with green or blue tinge, spotted and blotched with
brown of several shades (sometimes the brown almost conceals the
ground color); great variation in size, average about 0.80 X 065.
This large and handsome Sparrow, after passing the summer
and breeding-season in the northern regions of the continent
around Hudson Bay, and farther north and west perhaps to
the shores of the Pacific, visits us in straggling parties or pairs
from the middle of October to November. At this time it
frequents low, sheltered thickets in moist and watery situations,
where it usually descends to the ground and is busily employed
in scratching up the earth and rustling among the fallen leaves
in quest of seeds, worms, and insects, but more particularly the
last. It migrates in a desultory manner, and sometimes arrives
, SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. 339
as far south as Georgia, passing the winter in the Southern
States and retiring early in the spring to its favorite boreal
retreats. These Sparrows are silent birds, rather tame and
unsuspicious ; when alarmed or separated their call is simply
shep, shep; yet at times in the spring, a little before their
departure, they whisper forth a few low and sweet notes indi-
cative of the existence of vocal powers in the pairing season.
According to Richardson this species breeds in the woody
districts of the fur countries up to the 68th parallel.
Nuttall was correct in his conjecture that the Fox Sparrow is a
vocalist. It ranks as a peer of the best songsters of the entire
Sparrow-Finch tribe.
I have heard the song frequently in New Brunswick, when cold
storms have detained the birds on their journey north until the
approach of their mating season. Sometimes they arrive there
early in March, and pass on in a couple of weeks, without uttering
any other note than a metallic cheeg. But when they tarry until
after the first week in April they then burst into full song, and
sing almost continuously. It is a “fervent, sensuous, and withal
perfectly rounded carol,” writes William Brewster; and he adds:
“Tt expresses careless joy and exultant masculine vigor rather than
the finer shades of sentiment.” The voice is strong, of wide com-
pass, and sweet, rich tone.
Nests of this species have been found on the Magdalen Islands
and in Newfoundland, where it is called the Hedge Sparrow, and
Thompson reports it breeding in numbers on Duck Mountain in
Manitoba.
SLATE-COLORED JUNCO.
SNOW BIRD. WHITE BILL.
JUNCO HYEMALIS.
CHAR. Male: upper parts, neck, and breast dark slate or blackish
ash ; belly white; outer tail-feathers and bill, white. Female: similar,
but upper parts browner, breast paler. Length 6% to 6% inches.
Vest. In grassy woodland, or old meadow, or by the roadside, some-
times in the garden of a farm-house ; sheltered by a mound or stump, or
amid long grass; composed, usually, of grass, sometimes mixed with
roots or moss; lined with feathers, hair, fur, or moss.
340 SINGING BIRDS.
£ggs. 4-5; dull white, or tinted with green or buff, spotted chiefly
around larger end with reddish-brown and lilac; 0.80 X 0.60.
This hardy and very numerous species, common to both
continents, pours in flocks from the northern regions into the
United States about the middle of October, where their ap-
pearance is looked upon as the presage of approaching winter.
At this season they migrate into the Southern States in great
numbers, and seem to arrive in augmenting hosts with the
progress of the wintry storms and driving snows, before which
they fly for food rather than shelter; for even during the
descent of the whitening inundation, and while the tempest
still rages without abatement, these hardy and lonely wander-
ers are often seen flitting before the blast, and, seeking ad-
vantage from the sweeping current, descend to collect a scanty
pittance from the frozen and exposed ground, or stop to col-
lect the seeds which still remain upon the unshorn weeds
rising through the dreary waste. At such times they are also
frequently accompanied by the Snow Bunting, the humbly
dressed Yellow Bird, and the querulous Chickadee. Driven
to straits, however, by hunger, they at length become more
familiar, and are now seen about the barns and out-houses,
spreading themselves in busy groups over the yard, and even
approaching the steps of the door in towns and cities, and
gleaning thankfully from the threshold any crumbs or acci-
dental fragments of provision. Amidst all this threatening and
starving weather, which they encounter almost alone, they are
still lively, active, and familiar. The roads, presenting an
accidental resource of food for these northern swarms, are con-
sequently more frequented by them than the fields. Before the
severity of the season commences, they are usually only seen
moving in families; and the parents, watchful for the common
safety, still continue by reiterated chirpings to warn their full-
grown brood of every approach of danger, and, withdrawing
them from any suspicious observation, wander off to securer
ground. At this time they frequent the borders of woods, seek
through the thickets and among the fallen leaves for their
usual food of seeds and dormant insects or their larve, Their
SLATE-COLORED JUNCO. 341
caution is not unnecessary, for on the skirts of the larger flocks
the famished Hawk prowls for his fated prey, and descending
with a sudden and successful sweep, carries terror through all
the wandering and retreating ranks.
In the latter end of March or beginning of April, as the
weather begins to be mild, they re-appear in flocks from the
South, frequenting the orchard trees, or retreating to the shel-
ter of the woods, and seem now to prefer the shade of thickets
or the sides of hills, and frequently utter a few sweet, clear, and
tender notes, almost similar to the touching warble of the
European Robin Redbreast. The jealous contest for the
selection of mates already also takes place, soon after which
they retire to the northern regions to breed; though, accord-
ing to Wilson, many remove only to the high ranges of the
Alleghany Mountains, where, in the interior of Virginia, and
towards the western sources of the Susquehanna, they also
breed in great numbers, fixing their nests on the ground or
among the grass, the pairs still associating in near communion
with each other. In the fur countries they were not observed
by Richardson beyond the 57th parallel.
The Junco breeds from northern New England northward, and
on the higher hills south to North Carolina. It is an abundant
summer resident of the Maritime Provinces, and winters there in
small numbers. It also winters sparsely in northern New England,
and from Massachusetts southward it is a common winter bird:
The song is very similar to that of the Chipping Sparrow.
Though usually building its nest on the ground, a few have been
found in other situations. Sheriff Bishop, of Kentville, N, S., re-
corded in the O. & O. for September, 1888, finding nests on branches
of low trees, in holes in apple-trees, etc.
Note. —Examples of SHUFELDT’s JuNco (/. hyemalis shu-
feldtz), a western form, has been reported from several Eastern
States.
Another species, the CAROLINA JUNCO (/. A, carolinensis), was
first described by Mr. William Brewster from specimens obtained
by him on the mountains of North Carolina in June, 1885. It is
larger and lighter colored than Ayemadis, and has a horn-colored
bill.
342 SINGING BIRDS.
SWAMP SPARROW.
MELOSPIZA GEORGIANA.
Cuar. Above, streaked with brown, black, and buff; crown bay,
sometimes with indistinct median line of ash and streaks of black; fore-
head black; brown stripe behind eyes; sides of head and neck ash;
below, dull white, breast shaded with ash, sides shaded with brown;
wings and tail tinged with bay. Length about 534 inches.
Vest. Under cover of long grass, in a swamp or wet meadow; usually
made entirely of grass, though sometimes weed-stems are added to the
exterior, and hair is used in lining.
Zggs. 4-6; dull white, tinted with green, blue, or pink, blotched, often
clouded, with lilac and several shades of brown; 0.80 X 0.60.
The aquatic habits of these common, though little known,
birds is one of their most remarkable peculiarities. In New
England they arrive from the Southern States, where they win-
ter, about the middle of April, and take up their summer resi-
dence in the swamps and marshy meadows through which,
often without flying, they thread their devious way with the
same alacrity as the Rail, with whom they are indeed often
associated in neighborhood. In consequence of this perpetual
brushing through sedge and bushes, their feathers are fre-
quently so worn that their tails appear almost like those of
rats, and are very often flirted in the manner of the Wagtail.
Occasionally, however, they mount to the tops of low bushes
or willow-trees and chant forth a few trilling, rather monoto-
nous minor notes, resembling, in some measure, the song of
the Field Sparrow, and appearing like ¢wé tw’ swe’ tw’ tw’ tw’
twé, and tw!’ tw'/’tw tw’ twé, uttered in a pleasant and some-
what varied warble. These notes are made with considerable
effort, and sometimes with a spreading of the tail. In the
spring, on their first arrival, this song is delivered with much
spirit, and echoes through the marshes like the trill of the
Canary. The sound now resembles the syllables ’sw tw 'tw
‘twee 'twee’tw 'twe 'twe, or “tshp 'tshp 'tshe 'tsh 'tsh 'tsh 'tsh,
beginning loud, sweet, and somewhat plaintive; and the song
is continued till late in the morning, and after sunset in the
evening. This reverberating tone is again somewhat similar
SWAMP SPARROW. 343
to that of the Chipping Sparrow, but far louder and more musi-
cal. In the intervals the Swamp Sparrow descends into the
grassy tussocks and low bushes in quest of his insect food, as
well as to repose out of sight; and while here his movements
are as silent and secret as those of a mouse. The rice planta-
tions and river swamps are the favorite hibernal resorts of
these birds in Louisiana, Georgia, and the Carolinas ; here they
are very numerous, and skulk among the canes, reeds, and rank
grass, solicitous of concealment, and always exhibiting their
predilection for watery places. In the breeding season, before
the ripening of many seeds, they live much on the insects of
the marshes in which they are found, particularly the smaller
coleopterous kinds, Caraé¢ and Curculiones. They extend
their northern migrations as far as the coasts of Labrador and
Newfoundland.
They probably raise two or three broods in a season, being
equally prolific with our other Sparrows. They express extreme
solicitude for their young even after they are fully fledged and
able to provide for themselves; the young also, in their turn,
possess uncommon cunning and agility, running and concealing
themselves in the sedge of the wet meadows. They are quite
as difficult to catch as field-mice, and seldom on these emer-
gencies attempt to take wing. We have observed one of these
sagacious birds dart from one tussock to another, and at last
dive into the grassy tuft in such a manner, or elude the grasp
so well, as seemingly to disappear or burrow into the earth.
Their robust legs and feet, as well as long claws, seem pur-
posely provided to accelerate this clinging and running on the
uneven ground.
This species is a common summer resident throughout the settled
portions of eastern Canada, and abundant on the St. Clair Flats
and in Manitoba. It is common at that season in New England
also, and breeds south to Pennsylvania. A few spend each winter
in some marshes near Boston, and the flocks winter from that lati-
tude to the Gulf.
Mr. Chapman tells us that in the South they cary belie
their name and resort to dry fields,
LNAI |
SHARP-TAILED SPARROW.
SHORE FINCH.
AMMODRAMUS CAUDACUTUS.
Cuar. Above, brownish gray tinged with olive; crown darker, with
median stripe of ashy gray and two stripes of black; back streaked with
black; stripes of buff above and below eyes meeting behind ear-coverts ;
wings edged with yellow; tail-feathers narrow, with acutely pointed tips;
below, dull white, breast and sides tinged with buff and streaked with
black. Length about 5% inches. .
Nest. Ina salt-marsh or wet meadow, amid a cluster of reeds or tuft
of sedges, to the stems of which it is sometimes fastened; a somewhat
bulky structure of grass and weed-stems, lined with fine grass.
£ggs. 4-5; dull white or tinged with buff or green, thickly spotted
with brown and lilac; 0.75 X 0.55.
The Shore Finch is an inhabitant of the low islands and
marshy sea-coasts from Massachusetts to Texas, living on
small shrimps, marine insects, and probably grass seeds, mov-
ing through the rank herbage nearly with the same agility and
timidity as a Swamp Sparrow, to which in structure of the
feet and stoutness of the bill it bears considerable affinity.
ACADIAN SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. 345
These birds are not rare, though not so numerous as the Sea-
side Sparrow, with which they commonly associate.
These Finches frequent the water, and walk on the floating
weeds as if on the land; throughout the winter they remain
gregarious till spring, when they separate for the purpose of
breeding. They are almost silent, a single Aweet being now
all they are heard to utter; and even in the spring, so defec-
tive are they in melody that their notes are scarcely worthy
the name of a song. ‘They nest on the ground, amid the short
marsh-grass near the line of high-water mark; a slight hollow
is made, and then lined with delicate grass. They raise two
broods in the season in the Middle States.
“ Sharp-tails ” have been traced north to Prince Edward’s Island,
but in 1887 Mr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., discovered that true cauda-
cutus had not been taken beyond Portsmouth, N. H., the birds
found to the northward of that point being a distinct variety, which
he named sudvirgatus.
ACADIAN SHARP-TAILED SPARROW.
AMMODRAMUS CAUDACUTUS SUBVIRGATUS.
Cuar. “Similar in size and coloring to 4. caudacutus, but paler and
much less conspicuously streaked beneath with pale greenish gray instead
of black or deep brown. Bill averages smaller. Compared with zelsoné
it is much paler and grayer, generally larger, and with a longer bill”
(Dwight).
Nest and Zges are not known to differ from those of true caudacutus.
The habitat of this newly discovered sub-species, or, rather, the
limit of its range, has not yet been determined. Mr. Dwight gives
it as “Marshes of southern New Brunswick, Prince Edward’s
Island, and probably Nova Scotia, and southward in migration
along the Atlantic coast.” In habits the present bird differs from
caudacutus in frequenting fresh-water marshes and dry meadows
on the margins of inland streams.
The song of this bird —if its few wheezy notes deserve such
recognition — is a rather ludicrous effort, and suggests a bad cold
in the head. Mr: Dwight represents it by the syllables /éc-sé-é-
&é-00p. All I remember having heard from the specimens I
encountered is the séé-¢-é-é-o0p, delivered with apparent effort, as
if choking.
346 SINGING BIRDS.
NELSON’S SPARROW.
AMMODRAMUS CAUDACUTUS NELSONI.
Cuar. Differs from the type by the colors of the back being very
sharply defined, the white a clearer shade, and the brown a richer and
more decided umber ; chest and sides deep buff. Size larger than true
caudacutus. Length about 534 inches.
Nest and £ggs similar to caudacutus.
Nelson’s Sharp-tail was described by Mr. J. A. Allen in 1875.
It is found in summer on the marshes of the Mississippi valley,
from northern Illinois to Manitoba, and in winter on the Atlantic
coast from Massachusetts (sparingly) to South Carolina, and west
to Texas.
SEASIDE SPARROW.
SEASIDE FINCH.
AMMODRAMUS MARITIMUS.
Cuar. Above, dull olive brown, back and head with indistinct streaks
of ashy ; superciliary line and edge of wing yellow ; below, dull white, the
breast and sides with dark streaks. Length about 6 inches.
Nest. Hidden amid a tuft of grass or coarse sedges in a salt marsh or
wet meadow; sometimes placed on the ground, often a few inches above
it; composed of dry grass.
Eggs. 4-6; dull white with green or buff tint, spotted with brown;
0.80 X 0.60.
This species is not uncommon in the maritime marshy
grounds and in the sea islands along the Atlantic coast from
Massachusetts to the Southern States. It confines its excur-
sions almost wholly within the bounds of the tide-water, leav-
ing its favorite retreats for more inland situations only after
the prevalence of violent easterly storms. In quest of marine
insects, crustacea, shrimps, and minute shell-fish, it courses
along the borders of the strand with all the nimbleness of a
Sandpiper, examining the sea-weeds and other exuviz for its
fare; it seeks out its prey also at dusk, as well as at other
times, and usually roosts on the ground like a Lark. In short,
it derives its whole subsistence from the margin of the ocean,
SEASIDE SPARROW. 347
and its flesh is even imbued with the rank or fishy taste to be
expected from the nature of its food. At other times it re-
mains amidst the thickest of the sea-grass, and climbs upon
the herbage with as much dexterity as it runs on the ground.
Its feet and legs for this purpose are robust, as in the Swamp
Sparrow. It appears to rear two broods in the season. In
May and June the Seaside Finch may be seen almost at all
hours perched on the top of some rank weed near the salt-
marsh, singing with much emphasis the few notes which com-
pose its monotonous song. When approached it seeks refuge
in the rank grass by descending down the stalks, or flies off to
a distance, flirting its wings, and then, alighting suddenly, runs
off with great nimbleness.
The Seaside Finch is now considered a rare bird in Massachu-
setts, though an abundant summer resident of the salt marshes of
southern Connecticut. It breeds southward to North Carolina,
and winters in the Southern States.
NoTE.— ScotTt’s SEASIDE SPARROW (A. maritimus penin-
sul@) was first described from specimens taken by Mr. W. E. D.
Scott at Tarpon Springs, Florida, in 1888. It is intermediate in
coloration between 4. zzgrescens and A. maritimus.
This race is found in South Carolina and Florida, and along the
Gulf coast to Texas.
The Dusky SEASIDE SPARROW (Ammodramus nigrescens)
differs from marctimus in being black above, streaked with olive
and gray; beneath white, streaked with black. It was described
originally by Mr. C. J. Maynard, who captured the type specimen
in 1872, in southern Florida. He reported the bird as quite abun-
dant in some localities, but no other collector has been successfui
in finding it.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.
YELLOW BIRD. THISTLE BIRD. THISTLE FINCH. WILD
CANARY.
SPINUS TRISTIS.
CuHar. Male in summer: bright gamboge yellow; crown, wings, and
tail black; upper and under tail-coverts, wing and tail markings, white.
In winter the male resembles the female, though with less olive tint.
Female: above, olive brown; below, paler or yellowish; forehead with-
out black ; wings and tail much the same as in the male. Length about
434 inches.
Nest. Ina pasture or orchard; usually placed in a crotch of a decidu-
ous tree 10 to 20 feet from the ground; a compact and gracefully formed
cup, made of grass and vegetable fibre, lined with grass and plant down,
and often with hair.
egs. 3-6; white with tint of green or greenish blue, occasionally
marked with faint spots of brown; 0.65 X 0.50.
This common, active, and gregarious Goldfinch is a very
general inhabitant of the United States. It is also found in
summer in the remote interior of Canada, in the fur countries
and near Lake Winnipique, in the 49th degree of latitude, as
well as in the remote territory of Oregon and the Rocky
Mountains, on the banks of Lewis’s River, where I found the
nest as usual with white eggs. On the other hand, it is also
met with in Mexico, and even in Guiana and Surinam in trop-
ical America, where it frequents the savannas. Although
many of these birds which spend the summer here leave at
the approach of winter, yet hungry flocks are seen to arrive in
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 349
this part of New England throughout that season; and some-
times, in company with the Snow Buntings, in the inclement
months of January and February, they may be seen busily
employed in gleaning a scanty pittance from the seeds of the
taller weeds, which rise above the deep and drifted snows. As
late as the 15th of September I have observed a nest of the
Yellow Bird with the young still unfledged. Their migrations
are very desultory, and do not probably extend very far, their
progress being apparently governed principally by the scarcity
or abundance of food with which they happen to be supplied.
Thus, though they may be numerous in the depth of winter, as
soon as the weather relaxes in the month of March, scarcely
any more of them are to be seen, having at this time, in quest
of sustenance, proceeded probably to the southern extremity of
the United States. Those observed in tropical America may
be hibernal wanderers from the cooler parts of Mexico. At
all events they select the milder climates of the Union in
which to pass the breeding season, as at this time they are but
rarely seen in the Southern States, Kentucky being about the
boundary of their summer residence.
Naturally vagrant and wandering, they continue to live in
flocks or in near vicinage, even throughout the greatest part of
the selective season. As the fine weather of spring approaches
they put off their humble winter dress, and the males, now
appearing in their temporary golden livery, are heard tuning
their lively songs as it were in concert, several sitting on the
same tree enjoying the exhilarating scene, basking and pluming
themselves, and vying with each other in the delivery of their
varied, soft, and cheerful warble. They have also the faculty
of sinking and raising their voices in such a delightful cadence
that their music at times seems to float on the distant breeze,
scarcely louder than the hum of bees; it then breaks out as it
were into a crescendo, which rings like the loud song of the
Canary. In cages, to which they soon become familiar and
reconciled, their song is nearly as sonorous and animated as
that of the latter. When engaged in quarrel they sometimes
hurl about in a whole flock, some, as it were, interfering to
350 SINGING BIRDS.
make peace, others amused by the fray, all uttering loud and
discordant chirpings. One of their most common whining
calls while engaged in collecting seeds in gardens, where they
seem to be sensible of their delinquency, is may 5é, may bé.
They have also a common cry like ’ésheveet ’éshevee, uttered in
a slender, complaining accent. These and some other twitter-
ing notes are frequently uttered at every impulse while pursu-
ing their desultory waving flight, rising and falling as they shut
or expand their laboring wings. They are partial to gardens
and domestic premises in the latter end of summer and
autumn, collecting oily seeds of various kinds and shelling
them with great address and familiarity, if undisturbed often
hanging and moving about head downwards, to suit their con-
venience while thus busily and craftily employed. They have
a particular fondness for thistle seeds, spreading the down in
clouds around them, and at this time feeding very silently and
intently ; nor are they very easily disturbed while thus engaged
in the useful labor of destroying the germs of these noxious
weeds. They do some damage occasionally in gardens by
their indiscriminate destruction of lettuce and flower seeds,
and are therefore often disliked by gardeners; but their use-
fulness in other respects far counterbalances the trifling inju-
ries they produce. They are very fond, also, of washing and
bathing themselves in mild weather; and as well as tender
buds of trees they sometimes collect the Confervas of springs
and brooks as a variety to their usual fare.
They raise sometimes two broods in the season, as their
nests are found from the first week in July to the middle of
September. In 1831 I examined several nests, and from the
late period at which they begin to breed it is impossible that
they can ever act in the capacity of nurses to the Cow
Troopial. This procrastination appears to be occasioned by
the lack of sufficiently nutritive diet, the seeds on which they
principally feed not ripening usually before July.
Norte. — The BLACK-HEADED GOLDFINCH (Spzmus notatus),
a Mexican bird, is credited with an accidental occurrence in
Kentucky.
PINE SISKIN, 351
PINE SISKIN.
PINE FINCH. PINE LINNET,
SPINUS PINUS.
Cuar. Above, olive brown or dark flaxen, streaked with dusky ;
wings and tail black, the feathers edged with yellow; wings with two
buffish bars; below streaked with dusky and yellowish white. Length
about 434 inches.
Nest. Usually in a deep forest, on a horizontal branch of an evergreen
tree 20 to 40 feet from the ground. It is fairly well built, as a rule,
but is neither as compact nor graceful as the Thistle Bird’s, and is com-
posed of various materials, though generally grass, twigs, and pine-needles
form the exterior, while the lining is either feathers or hair, or both.
£ggs. 3-53 pale green or greenish blue spotted with light reddish
brown and lilac; 0.70 X 0.50.
Our acquaintance with this little northern Goldfinch is very
unsatisfactory. It visits the Middle States in November, fre-
quents the shady, sheltered borders of creeks and rivulets, and
is particularly fond of the seeds of the hemlock-tree. Among
the woods, where these trees abound, these birds assemble in
flocks, and contentedly pass away the winter. Migrating for
no other purpose but subsistence, their visits’ are necessarily
desultory and uncertain. My friend Mr. Oakes, of Ipswich,
has seen them in large flocks in that vicinity in winter. With
us they are rare, though their favorite food is abundant. They
are by no means shy, and permit a near approach without tak-
ing alarm, often fluttering among the branches in which they
feed, hanging sometimes by the cones, and occasionally utter-
ing notes very similar to those of the American Goldfinch.
Early in March they proceed to the North, and my friend
Audubon observed them in families, accompanied by their
young, in Labrador in the month of July. They frequented
low thickets in the vicinity of water, and were extremely fear-
less and gentle. Their summer plumage, as we have since
also found in the.Oregon Territory, where they abound and
breed, is entirely similar to the garb iri which they visit us in
the winter, with the sole exception that the yellow of the wings
is brighter.
352 SINGING BIRDS.
They sing on the wing in the manner of the Goldfinch.
Their notes are clear, lively, and mellow, like as in that bird,
but still sufficiently distinct ; they fly out in the same graceful,
deep curves, emitting also the common call-note at every
effort to proceed.
The history of this interesting bird is but little better known to-
day than when Nuttall wrote. Our ignorance is partly due to the
irregular, nomadic habits of the bird, but chiefly because its favorite
haunts are in out-of-the-way places, amid the deeper recesses of the
forests, where few observers penetrate. At intervals large flocks
visit the outskirts of settlements, and even look in upon the vil-
lages; but these are merely excursions by the way introduced into
the migration programme. Its habitat is now given as “ North
America in general, breeding mostly north of the United States.”
In the east, nests have been found in New York State by Dr. C.
Hart Merriam and Dr. A. K. Fisher, and the nest and eggs have
been taken twice in Massachusetts; but the major portion of the
eastern flocks go to the more northern portions of New England
and beyond before settling down for the summer.
The dates usually given for the nesting are early in May; but
a much earlier time is given by Dr. A. Leith Adams, an Eng-
lish naturalist who met with the species in New Brunswick. In
his “ Field and Forest Rambles,” he writes: “It breeds early, and
has its young flying before the first summer migrants arrive in
April, when large flocks may be observed feeding on the buds of
the hawthorn preparatory to their departure northward.” He adds
that it is a choice cage-bird, and is easily tamed. He kept some
for several months, and when liberated they all returned to their
cages after an absence of several days.
The biography of this species forms an interesting chapter in
that interesting book, “The Land Birds and Game Birds of New
England,” by H. D. Minot,—a book, by the way, that has not
received the recognition its merit deserves.
GOLDFINCH.
CARDUELIS CARDUELIS.
Cuar. Forehead and throat crimson; cheeks and lower throat white;
crown and nape black, the latter being bordered by a narrow line of
white; back brown; wings black, tipped with white and barred with
yellow; tail-coverts white with black bases; three outer tail-feathers
black, with white central spots, the remainder black, tipped with white ;
breast white, banded with brownish buff; flanks buffy; belly and under
tail-coverts white. Length about 5 inches.
Vest. In an orchard or garden, placed in a fork of a tree or bush; a
compact and neatly made structure of fine grass and moss, lined with
grass and plant down, etc.
Eggs. 4-6; dull white tinged with blue or green, spotted and streaked
with purplish brown; 0.70 X 0.50.
This European songster has been introduced within recent years,
and though increasing slowly, appears to be thoroughly naturalized.
It is most abundant near Hoboken, N. J., where a number were
set at liberty in 1878, but examples have been taken in other States.
A nest and eggs were discovered in Cambridge some ten years
ago, and during the summer of 1890 a nest was taken near
Worcester, Mass.
In Great Britain it is very common, and breeds north to Caith-
ness, and one nest has been taken on the south side of Skye.
The young are fed on insects and Jarve; but Mr. Saunders says
“the principal food of the Goldfinch consists of seeds of the thistle,
knapweed, groundsel, dock, and other plants.”
VOL. I. — 23
354 SINGING BIRDS,
HOUSE SPARROW.
ENGLISH SPARROW.
PASSER DOMESTICUS.
Cuar. General color grayish brown, the back streaked with black; a
narrow stripe of white over the eyes; cheeks with patches of chestnut and
white ; sides and neck white ; throat and breast black, sometimes washed
with chestnut; wings brown with white bar; tail brown; belly dull white.
Female: paler, without the black throat-patch. Length about 6 inches.
West Anywhere and of any material, — usually a bulky affair, roughly
made of dry grass and feathers.
Eggs. 4-73; grayish white speckled with rich brown and pale lavender ;
0.85 X 0.60.
This is another introduced species; but about z¢s naturalization
there is, unfortunately, no doubt.
The history of the introduction of this bird, and its relation to
American agriculture, is exhaustively treated in a volume prepared
by Mr. Walter B. Barrows, under the direction of Dr. C. Hart
Merriam, ornithologist to the Department of Agriculture, and
issued from the Government Printing Office at Washington in
1889. From it we learn that the first importation of this Sparrow
was made by Hon. Nicholas Pike, and the birds were liberated in
Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1851. The first batch did not thrive, so others
— about a hundred — were brought over during 1852 and 1853. In
1854 Colonel Rhodes, of Quebec, brought a number from England
and liberated some in Portland, Me., the remainder being taken
to Quebec. During the following ten years a few hundred were
brought from Europe and scattered between Portland and New
York, some thirty being turned out on Boston Common. About
1869 a thousand were taken to Philadelphia, and several cities in
the interior received each a few pairs.
From these imported birds have sprung the hosts of “ruffians in
feathers” that have taken possession of every town and village,
from Cape Breton to Florida, and west to the plains.
A few pairs were taken to southern Greenland, and though some
lived through several winters, the entire flock at last perished.
Note.— The EurRopEAN TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus)
has also been introduced. A few years ago a number were liber-
ated in St. Louis, and have become thoroughly naturalized there.
This bird is closely related to the House Sparrow, which it resembles
in appearance and in habits. The Tree Sparrow has not, however,
increased so rapidly as its congener, nor proved so great a pest.
REDPOLL.
LESSER REDPOLL. REDPOLL LINNET.
ACANTHIS LINARIA.
Cuar. Above, brownish gray streaked with dusky; rump white,
tinged with rose pink and streaked with dusky; forehead with patch of
deep carmine; wings dusky brown with two white bars; below, white,
sides heavily streaked with dusky; chin and throat dusky; breast deep
rose pink. Bill extremely acute; in winter its color is yellow tipped with
black, but in summer the color is dull blackish. (Female differs from
male only in lacking the red tints on rump and breast.) Length 4% to 5
inches.
Vest. In a low tree or amid a tuft of grass; composed of dry grass and
moss lined with hair or feathers or plant down.
£ggs. 4-6; white tinged with green or blue, spotted with reddish
brown ; 0.65 X 0.50.
These elegant birds, which only pay us occasional and
transient visits at distant intervals, are inhabitants of the whole
Arctic circle to the confines of Siberia, and are found in Kam-
tschatka and Greenland as well as the colder parts of Europe.
Arriving in roving flocks from the northern wilds of Canada,
they are seen at times in the western parts of the State of New
York with the fall of the first deep snow, and occasionally pro-
ceed eastward to the very city of New York, where in the
depth of winter, and for several weeks, they have been seen
gleaning their scanty food of various kinds of seeds in the
gardens of the town and suburbs. Flocks are likewise some-
times seen in the vicinity of Philadelphia in severe winters,
though at remote periods; as according to Mr. Ord they have
not visited that part of Pennsylvania since the winter of
356 SINGING BIRDS,
1813-14. They appear very unsuspicious while feeding in the
gardens, or on the seeds of the alder-bush, one of their favor-
ite repasts, and thus engaged allow a near approach while
searching for their food in every posture, and sometimes head
downwards. They are also fond of the seeds of the pine, the
linden, and rape, and in the winter sometimes content them-
selves even with the buds of the alder. Wilson believed he
heard this species utter a few interrupted notes, but nothing
satisfactory is known of its vocal powers. Mr. Ord remarks
that their call much resembles that of the common Yellow
Bird, to which, indeed, they are allied. They are said to
breed in the Highlands of Scotland, and to select the heath
and furze for the situation of their nests, though they more
commonly choose alder-bushes and the branches of the pine.
According to Richardson, these birds are among the few
hardy and permanent residents in the fur countries, where they
may be seen in the coldest weather on the banks of lakes and
rivers, hopping among the reeds and carices or clinging to their
stalks. They are numerous throughout the year even in the
most northern districts, and from the rarity of their migrations
into the United States it is obvious that they are influenced by
no ordinary causes to evacuate the regions in which they are
bred. Famine, in all probability, or the scarcity of food, urges
them to advance towards the South. It is certain that they do
not forsake their natal regions to seek shelter from the cold.
This season, by the 7th or 8th of November (1833), before
the occurrence of any extraordinary cold weather, they arrived
in this vicinity (Cambridge, Mass.) in considerable flocks, and
have not paid a visit to this quarter before to my knowledge
for 10 or 12 years. They now regularly assemble in the birch-
trees every morning to feed on their seeds, in which employ-
ment they are so intent that it is possible to advance to the
slender trees in which they are engaged and shake them off by
surprise before they think of taking wing. They hang upon
the twigs with great tenacity, and move about while feeding in —
reversed postures, like the Chickadees. After being shot at
they only pass on to the next tree and resume their feeding as
REDPOLL. 357
before. They have a quailing call perfectly similar to that
of the Yellow Bird (fringilla tristis), twée twée, or tshe-veé ;
and when crowding together in flight make a confused chirp-
ing ’wet'ttwit’ twit’ twit twit, with a rattling noise, and some-
times go off with a simultaneous twitter. Occasionally they
descend from their favorite birches and pick up sunflower
seeds and those of the various weedy Chenopodiums growing
in wastes. At length they seemed attracted to the pines by
the example of the Crossbills, and were busily employed in
collecting their seeds. As the weather becomes colder they
also roost in these sheltering evergreens; and confused flocks
are seen whirling about capriciously in quest of fare, sometimes
descending on the fruit-trees to feed on their buds by way of
variety. Though thus urged from their favorite regions in the
north, there appeared no obvious reason for their movements,
as we found them fat and not driven to migrate from any
imminent necessity.
In Nuttall’s day but two forms of Redpoll were recognized by
naturalists, — /éxaria and canescens (= exilipes); but now there
are five, — or six, if we count the hypothetical drewsteriz. Similar
as these appear to the casual observer, an expert can readily divide
them when examples of the different races are compared, though it
is sometimes difficult to refer a specimen with accuracy unless so
compared.
The habitat of true /zarda is now given as “northern portions
of northern hemisphere, in North America; south in winter to
Kansas and Virginia.”
Note. — HOLB@LL’s REDPOLL (Acanthis linaria holballit) is
larger than the type, with a proportionately longer bill. It is
usually restricted to the northern coasts of Europe and Asia, but
examples have been taken in Alaska, Quebec, Massachusetts, and
New York.
The GREATER REDPOLL (Acanthis linaria rostrata) is still
larger, — length 5% to 534 inches,—and the colors are darker,
with the under parts more broadly striped. It is found in southern
Greenland in summer, and in winter migrates to New England,
Manitoba, and northern Illinois.
HOARY REDPOLL.
MEALY REDPOLL.
ACANTHIS HORNEMANII EXILIPES.
Cuar. Male: above, dull white streaked with dusky brown; crown
crimson; rump white washed with pink; wings and tail dusky brown
with two white bars; below, dull white sparsely streaked with dusky:
chin and throat dusky; breast delicate rose pink. Female: similar, but
without pink on breast and rump. Length 5 inches.
Similar to A. Zaria, but colors paler, — the brown largely replaced by
gray, and the red of a paler shade and more restricted.
Vest. In a low tree or on the ground; composed of grass and twigs
lined with feathers.
£ggs. 3-5; white tinged with blue or green, spotted with reddish
‘Od
brown ; 0.65 X 0.50.
This species, so nearly allied to the last, is met with partly
in the same remote boreal regions in the summer, but is of
much more rare occurrence ; it is also found in the territory
of Oregon, and stragglers have been obtained as far south as
New Jersey and New York. In Maine it is less rare. These
birds have a note very similar to the last species, but distinct.
They are full of activity and caprice while engaged in feeding,
making wide circles and deep undulations in their flight. Like
TOWHEE. 359
Titmice also, they frequently feed and hang to the twigs in
reversed postures.
This form summers in the Arctic regions, and in winter migrates
southward, a few examples reaching the northern border of the
United States.
Note. — The GREENLAND REDPOLL (Acanthis hornemannii)
is larger than erz/ifes,—length 514 to 6% inches. It breeds in
Greenland and the eastern part of Arctic America, and in winter
ranges as far south as Labrador.
BREWSTER’S LINNET (Acanthis brewsteri/) is a “ Redpoll”
without any red on its poll; it differs also from the other forms in
lacking the dusky spot on the throat and in having a portion of its
plumage tinged with yellow. The type specimen was taken at
Waltham, Mass., in 1870, and remains unique. The A. O. U. have
placed the name in that “lock-up” for suspicious characters, the
‘*« hypothetical list.”
TOWHEE.
GROUND ROBIN. CHEWINK.
PIPILO ERYTHROPHTHALMUS.
Cuar. Black with white belly and bay sides and vent; outer tail-
feathers partly white ; white spot on wing; iris red. Female and young
tawny brown where the adult male is black.
West. Near the margin of woodland or in an overgrown pasture ;
usually placed on the ground and concealed in a tuft of grass or brush-
heap, or under a log or bush, — sometimes fastened to a low bush; loosely
made of dry leaves, grape-vines, weed-stems, and grass, lined with fine
grass, roots, or pine-needles.
Eggs. 4-6; dull white thickly marked with fine spots of warm, reddish
brown and lilac; sometimes the marks are bolder ; 0.95 X 0.75
This is a very common, humble, and unsuspicious bird,
dwelling commonly in thick dark woods and their borders,
flying low, and frequenting thickets near streams of water,
where it spends much time in scratching up the withered
leaves for worms and their larve, and is particularly fond of
wire-worms (or /w//), as well as various kinds of seeds and
gravel. Its rustling scratch among the leafy carpet of the
forest is often the only indication of its presence, excepting
360 SINGING BIRDS.
now and then a call upon its mate (Mw-wee, Hw-wee, 0w-
weet), with which it is almost constantly associated. While
thus busily engaged in foraging for subsistence, it may be
watched and approached without showing any alarm; and
taking a look often at the observer, without suspicion, it
scratches up the leaves as before. This call of recognition is
uttered in a low and somewhat sad tone, and if not soon
answered it becomes louder and interrogatory, fow-wee towee ?
and terminates often with /aweet. These birds are accused
of sometimes visiting the pea-fields to feed, but occasion no
sensible damage.
In the pairing season and throughout the period of incuba-
tion the male frequently mounts to the top of some bush
amidst the thickets where he usually passes the time, and from
hence in a clear and sonorous voice chants forth his simple
guttural and monotonous notes for an hour or so at a time,
while his faithful mate is confined to her nest. This quaint
and somewhat pensive song often sounds like /sh’d wike té té
Zé t, or *bid-wi tee, tr tr "tr *tr,—the latter part a sort of
quaint and deliberate quivering trill; sometimes it sounds like
‘bid tsherr 'rh 'rh, rrh ’wt, then ’fwee twee 2 tsher r'r, also
et se ya, yaya *ya *ya ’ya; the latter notes, attempted to be
expressed by whistled and contracted consonant syllables, are
trilled with this sound.
Ground Robins, sometimes also called Zshe-wink and Pee-
wink, from another of their notes, are general inhabitants of
Canada and the United States even to the base of the Rocky
Mountains and the peninsula of Florida, in all of which regions,
except the last, with Louisiana and the contiguous countries,
they pass the summer and rear their young, migrating, how-
ever, from the Northern and Middle States in October, and
returning again about the middle or close of April, according
to the advancement of the season, at which time also the
males usually precede the arrival of their mates. They pass
the winter generally to the south of Pennsylvania, and are then
very abundant in all the milder States in the Union.
They are said to show some address at times in concealing
PLVIUL.
1. Snow Bird. 4:. American Goldfinch.
Pe Song Sparrow. ©. Vesper Sparrow.
3. Phoebe. 6 . Towhee.
TOWHEE. 361
their nest, which is fixed on the ground in a dry and elevated
situation and sunk beneath the surface among the fallen leaves,
sometimes under the shelter of a small bush, thicket, or brier.
According to the convenience of the site, it is formed of differ-
ent materials, sometimes, according to Wilson, being made of
leaves, strips of grape-vine bark, lined with fine stalks of dry
grass, and occasionally-in part hidden with hay or herbage.
Most of the nests in this vicinity are made in solitary dry pine
woods without any other protection than some small bush or
accidental fallen leaves; and the external materials, rather
substantial, are usually slightly agglutinated strips of red-cedar
bark, or withered grass with a neat lining of the same and
fallen pine leaves; the lining sometimes made wholly of the
latter. The nest is also at times elevated from the ground by
a layer of coarse leaf-stalks such as those of the hickory. The
first brood are raised early in June, and a second is often
observed in the month of July; but in this part of New Eng-
land they seldom raise more than one. The pair show great
solicitude for the safety of their young, fluttering in the path
and pretending lameness with loud chirping when their nest is
too closely examined.
The eastern form of the Towhee is not found west of Minnesota,
Kansas, and Texas. In the more northern and unsettled portions
of New England it is very rare or absent. It is common in Man-
itoba and southern Ontario, but rare in Quebec ; and one example,
captured near St. John, N. B., in 1881, is the only known instance
of its occurrence in the Maritime Provinces.
The flocks migrate in winter to the Southern States, settling in
Virginia and southward.
Note. — The WHITE-EVYED TOWHEE (P2fclo erythrophthalmus
alleni) differs from the northern race chiefly in being of somewhat
smaller size, and in the iris being white instead of red.
It was discovered during the spring of 1879 by Mr. C. J. May-
nard in Florida, and is said to be distributed along the coast north
ward to South Carolina.
CARDINAL.
REDBIRD.
CaARDINALIS CARDINALIS.
Cuar. Head with conspicuous crest. Male: above, bright vermi-
lion, shaded with gray on the back; beneath, paler; forehead and throat
black. Female: above, olive gray; beneath, buffy. Young similar to
female, but duller. Length about 8 to 8% inches.
West. In a variety of situations, most frequently amid a thicket of
brambles or in a low tree; loosely made of twigs, strips of grape-vine,
dry grass, weed-stems, lined with fine grass or roots, sometimes with
hair.
Eggs. 3-§; dull white or tinged with blue, green, or buff; spotted
with reddish brown and lilac; 1.00 X 0.75.
These splendid and not uncommon songsters chiefly reside
in the warmer and more temperate parts of the United States
from New York to Florida, and a few stragglers even proceed
as far to the north as Salem in Massachusetts. They also
inhabit the Mexican provinces, and are met with south as far
as Carthagena ; adventurously crossing the intervening ocean,
they are likewise numerous in the little temperate Bermuda
islands, but do not apparently exist in any of the West Indies.
As might be supposed, from the range already stated, the Red-
birds are not uncommon throughout Louisiana, Missouri, and
Arkansas Territory. Most of those which pass the summer in
CARDINAL. 363
the cooler and Middle States retire to the South at the com-
mencement of winter; though a few linger in the sheltered
swamps of Pennsylvania and near the shores of the Delaware
almost through the winter. ‘They also, at this season, probably
assemble towards the sea-coast from the west, in most of the
Southern States, where roving and skulking timid families are
now seen flitting silently through thickets and swampy woods,
eager alone to glean a scanty subsistence, and defend them-
selves from prowling enemies. At all times, however, they
appear to have a predilection for watery groves and shaded
running streams, abounding with evergreens and fragrant mag-
nolias, in which they are so frequent as to be almost concomi-
tant with the scene. But though they usually live only in
families or pairs, and at all times disperse into these selective
groups, yet in severe weather, at sunset, in South Carolina, I
observed a flock passing to a roost in a neighboring swamp
and bushy lagoon, which continued, in lengthened file, to fly
over my head at a considerable height for more than twenty
minutes together. The beautiful procession, illumined by the
last rays of the setting sun, was incomparably splendid as the
shifting shadowy light at quick intervals flashed upon their
brilliant livery. They had been observed to pass in this man-
ner to their roost for a considerable time, and, at daybreak,
they were seen again to proceed and disperse for subsistence.
How long this timid and gregarious habit continues, I cannot
pretend to say; but by the first week in February the song of
the Redbird was almost daily heard. As the season advances,
roving pairs, living, as it were, only with and for each other, flit
from place to place; and following also their favorite insect or
vegetable fare, many proceed back to the same cool region in
which they were bred, and from which they were reluctantly
driven ; while others, impelled by interest, caprice, and adven-
ture, seek to establish new families in the most remote limits of
their migration. Some of these more restless wanderers occa-
sionally, though rarely, favor this part of New England with a
visit. After listening with so much delight to the lively fife of
the splendid Cardinal, as I travelled alone through the deep and
364 SINGING BIRDS.
wild solitudes which prevail over the Southern States, and bid,
as I thought, perhaps an eternal adieu to the sweet voice of my
charming companions, what was my surprise and pleasure, on
the 7th of May, to hear, for the first time in this State, and in
the Botanic Garden, above an hour together, the lively and
loud song of this exquisite vocalist, whose voice rose above
every rival of the feathered race, and rung almost in echoes
through the blooming grove in which he had chosen his re-
treat. In the Southern States, where these birds everywhere
breed, they become familiarly attached to gardens, which, as
well as cornfields, afford them a ready means of subsistence ;
they are also fond of the seeds of most of the orchard fruits,
and are said occasionally to prey upon bees.
The lay of the Cardinal is a loud, mellow, and pleasingly
varied whistle, delivered with ease and energy for a consider-
able time together. To give it full effect, he chooses the sum-
mit of some lofty branch, and elevating his melodious voice in
powerful as well as soothing and touching tones, he listens,
delighted as it were, with the powers of his own music, at
intervals answered and encouraged by the tender responses of
his mate. It is thus the gilded hours of his existence pass
away in primeval delight, until care and necessity break in
upon his contemplative reveries, and urge him again to pursue
the sober walks of active life.
The song of the Redbird, like that of so many others,
though possessed of great originality, often consists in part of
favorite borrowed and slightly altered phrases. It would be
a difficult and fruitless task to enumerate all the native notes
delivered by this interesting songster; a few may be perhaps
excused by those who wish, in their rural walks, to be made, in
any way, acquainted with the language of the feathered vocal-
ists that surround them. All the tones of the Cardinal are
whistled much in the manner of the human voice. Late in
February, while travelling in Alabama, I heard one crying
wookt, wolit wolit wolt, then in a quicker tone Jutsh butsh
bittsh bittsh, and ‘tshooway tshooway tshooway. At another
time the song was ‘wet a’wit, ‘ted; then ¢shevd tsheve teu,
CARDINAL. 365
‘whott whoit ’whoit te (the ’whott an exact human whistle,
and the ez tenderly emphatic). Another bird called #o #o
téo, tshooé tshooe tshooe tshooe, then teo teo teo teo alone, or
‘wott ’woit wot wort, with the last word delivered slower, and
in a sinking, delicately plaintive tone. These phrases were
also answered in sympathy by the female, at a little distance
up the meandering brook where they were engaged in collect-
ing their food. In Florida, about the 12th of March, I heard
a very fine Redbird singing ‘whittoo wittoo widoo ‘’widdoo,
He began low, almost in a whisper, but very clearly articu-
lated, and gradually raised his voice to loudness, in the manner
of the Nightingale. He now changed the strain into ’victu,
wilt wilt wilt wilt; then ’victu tshooé 'tshédoe tshioe tshove,
afterwards #% i ’victu, and ’victu tu tu, then varying ’tshdvce,
etc., in a lower key. On approaching this bird, to see and
hear him more distinctly, he exhibited his anger by scolding in
a hoarse tone almost like that of a squirrel, and from the sea-
son, and absence of respondence in the female, I imagine he
already had a nest in the neighboring thicket. The bird, which
frequented the Botanic Garden for several days, in the morn-
ing sang fearlessly and loudly, but at other times the pair hid
themselves amongst the thickest bushes, or descended to the
ground to feed among the grass and collect insects and worms ;
now and then however, in an undertone, as if afraid of attract-
ing notice, he whispered to his mate sew feu feu, woit, ’wott
‘wott, elevating his tone of recognition a little at the close of
the call, and going over other of the usual phrases in the same
whispering and slenderly rising voice. About the 4th of July,
the same pair, apparently, paid us a parting visit, and the male
sang with great energy, ’¢v’ tw’, weld ’wetld ’wetd ‘wets wets
wait, then waitip waitip waitip waitip, tshow tshow tshow
tshdw tshow. On whistling any of these notes within hearing
of the Cardinal, a response is almost certain, as this affectionate
recognition is frequently answered by the female. His phrase
may also be altered at will, by whistling some other than that
which he repeats, as he often immediately answers in the call
he hears, supposing it to be that of his approaching mate.
366 SINGING BIRDS.
On their arrival in the Middle States, in spring, violent con-
tests sometimes ensue between the unmated and jealous males.
When the dispute is for the present closed, the pair, probably
for greater security, and dreading a recurring quarrel of doubt-
ful issue, wander off to a remote distance from their usual
abode, and in this way, no doubt, occasionally visit countries
but little frequented by the rest of their species. Early in
May, it seems, in Pennsylvania, according to Wilson, they
begin to prepare their nests, which are often placed in an ever-
green bush, cedar, laurel, or holly. They usually raise two
broods in the season. As they are so easily domesticated im-
mediately after being caught in trap cages, it is unnecessary to
raise them from the nest. By this kind of unnatural confine-
ment, the brilliant color of the male is found sometimes to
fade until it becomes of a pale whitish red. They live, how-
ever, long in confinement, and an instance is known of one
whieh had survived for 21 years. In the cage, they have not
that variety of song which they exhibit in their native wilds ;
and: this, judging from the frequent repetition of the same
phrase, would appear to be a monotonous performance, if the
variety of expression, tone, and key did not perpetually relieve
and enhance the character of the lay. His song also con-
tinues for 6 or 8 months in the year, and is, even, as among
the Thrushes, more lively in wet weather, the sadness of
Nature, softening and soothing the tender vocalist into a lively,
pathetic, and harmonious revery. So highly were these birds
esteemed for their melody that, according to Gemelli Careri,
the Spaniards of Havanna, in a time of public distress and
scarcity, bought so many of these birds, with which a vessel
was partly freighted, from Florida, that the sum expended, at
10 dollars apiece, amounted to no less than 18,000 dollars!
Indeed, Latham admits that the notes of our Cardinal “are
almost equal to those of the Nightingale,” the sweetest feath-
ered minstrel of Europe. The style of their performance is,
however, wholly different. The bold, martial strains of the
Redbird, though relieved by tender and exquisite touches,
possess not the enchanting pathos, the elevated and varied
EVENING GROSBEAK. 367
expression of the far-famed Philomel, nor yet those contrasted
tones, which, in the solemn stillness of the growing night, fall
at times into a soothing whisper, or slowly rise and quicken
into a loud and cheering warble. A strain of almost senti-
mental tenderness and sadness pervades by turns the song of
the Nightingale ; it flows like a torrent, or dies away like an
echo; his varied ecstasies poured to the pale moonbeams,
now meet with no response but the sighing zephyr or the ever-
murmuring brook. The notes of our Cardinal are as full of
hilarity as of tender expression ; his whistling call is uttered in
the broad glare of day, and is heard predominant over most of
the feathered choir by which he is surrounded. His respond-
ing mate is the perpetual companion of all his joys and cares;
simple and content in his attachment, he is a stranger to
capricious romance of feeling, and the shades of melancholy,
however feeble and transient, find no harbor in his preoc-
cupied affections.
The Cardinal occurs sparingly in southern New England, and it
has been occasionally seen in Massachusetts and northward. Two
examples visited Halifax, N. S., in 1871. It is quite common in
Ohio, and has been taken, across the lake, in Ontario, and westward
to Iowa.
EVENING GROSBEAK.
COCCOTHRAUSTES VESPERTINUS.
CuHar. Dusky olivaceous, shading to yellowish on the rump; fore-
head, line over the eyes, and under tail-coverts, yellow; crown, wings,
and tail black; secondaries mostly white; bill greenish yellow, conspicu-
ously large. Female differs slightly from the male, but is readily identi-
fied. Length about 7% to 8 inches.
Vest. In the decp forest, usually on a branch of a tall tree, sometimes
in low bush; composed of twigs and roots, lined with roots or hair.
L£ggs. 4-?; pale dull green, marked with pale brown spots.
This beautiful species inhabits the solitudes of the North-
western interior, being met with from the extremity of the
Michigan Territory to the Rocky Mountains. It is not um
common towards the upper extremity of Lake Superior and
368 SINGING BIRDS.
the borders of Athabasca Lake; to the east of these limits
these birds appear to be only transient visitors in spring and
fall. They are common inhabitants of the fur countries, and
particularly of the maple woods of the Saskatchewan, where
they do not arrive from the South before the commencement
of the month of June. In the pine woods of Oregon (accord-
ing to Mr. Townsend) numerous flocks are seen about the mid-
dle of May, and at this time they are very tame and unsuspicious,
moving about in considerable numbers throughout the whole
of the day, and seem no way given to retiring before sunset.
Their ordinary note while feeding consists of a single rather
screaming call. At other times, particularly about mid-day, the
male from the branches of some tall pine-tree utters a single
warbling note much like the interrupted beginning of the
Robin’s song, but not so sweet. They feed upon the seeds
of the pine and other trees, alighting upon the large limbs,
and proceed by a series of hops to the very extremities of
the branches. They also occasionally devour the larvee of ants,
and probably other kinds of insects.
The Evening Grosbeak occurs regularly in winter in Wisconsin,
Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, and occasionally in Ohio and Ontario.
During the latter part of the winter of 1889-90 numbers were
seen eastward to Montreal and the New England States.
The flocks appeared in the vicinity of Hamilton about the
middle of December. Mr. MclIlwraith writes that the first he saw
was a flock of about twenty or thirty, some of whom were on the
bank of the Lake feeding, “ while others were down on the sandy
shore, picking gravel or dabbling themselves in the water. ... I
thought at first that the original flock had remained, but soon found
that an easterly migration was going on, and that as one flock left
another arrived. . . . During February few, if any, were observed
here. In March the return trip commenced, but was in all respects
different from the easterly one. The birds were then fewer in num-
ber, and all seemed excited and desirous to go west with the least
possible delay.” (Birds of Ontario.)
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.
HABIA LUDOVICIANA.
CuHar. Male: above, black; rump white; wings and tail black with
white markings; below, white; breast and under tail-coverts deep rose
pink. Female: above, streaked blackish and olive; crown with central
stripe of white; rump white; under parts dull white, streaked with brown;
no red on the breast. Length 714 to 8% inches.
Vest. Usually on the margin of woods, or in a dense alder-swamp, —
occasionally in a garden or open pasture; composed of grass, «sea moss,
roots, stalks, and twigs, lined with fine grass, roots, or pine-needles.
£ggs. 3-5; dull green or bluish green variously marked with spots
and blotches of reddish brown, lilac, and pale lavender; 1.00 X 0.70.
The remote Northwestern Territories of the Union, Canada,
and the cool regions towards the Rocky Mountains appear to
be the general residence of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A
few pairs breed on the banks of the Mohawk, and probably
in the interior of Pennsylvania. Mr. Say met with it in the
spring, on the lower part of the Missouri; and at Pembino, on
the sth of August, in the 49th parallel. Dr. Richardson also
observed it in the latitude of 53°, and Audubon found it breed-
ing in Newfoundland. It has likewise been seen in Mexico
and Texas. These are, no doubt, its proper natal regions, and
the course of its migrations, from which it only ventures acci-
dentally in severe winters, and is then transiently seen in pairs
east of the Atlantic mountains, which constitute the general
boundary of its range, It is thus seen occasionally in the
VOL. I, — 24
«
370 SINGING BIRDS.
vicinity of Philadelphia, in the State of New York, particularly
along the borders of Lake Ontario, and in Connecticut, but
rarely in this part of New England. Pennant speaks of its
arrival in the State of New York in May, where it has a nest of
5 eggs, and then retires in August. It is also unknown in the
Southern States.
My friend Mr. Cooper remarks that though this species is
rare in the vicinity of New York, a few probably breed in the
woods of the Hudson, as at Tappan, 30 miles up that river, it
is frequently seen in the cherry-trees in the month of June,
and is said to be common in the forests along the south shore
of Lake Erie, and usually breeds there. It thrives very well
in a cage, is a most melodious and indefatigable warbler, fre-
quently in fine weather, as in its state of freedom, passing a
great part of the night in singing, with all the varied and touch-
ing tones of the Nightingale.
While thus earnestly engaged, it seems to mount on tiptoe
in an ecstasy of enthusiasm and delight at the unrivalled har-
mony of its own voice. The notes are wholly warbled, now
loud, clear, and vaulting with a querulous air; then perhaps
sprightly ; and finally lower, tender, and pathetic. In short,
I am not acquainted with any of our birds superior in song
to the present, with the solitary exception of our Orphean
Mocking Bird.
The Louisiana Grosbeak is fed with the usual kinds of bird-
seed, and in its wild state seems to be particularly fond of
the kernels of the sour-gum berries; it probably also feeds
upon the berries of the juniper, which abound in the regions
it usually inhabits.
Though somewhat local in its distribution, this attractive bird
occurs regularly throughout the Eastern States, but is uncommon
in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is found in some
parts of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec, and is quite
common in Ontario, and abundant in Manitoba.
Though generally selecting a secluded spot for nesting, a pair
will occasionally wander away from the forest and thicket, and even
build in the heart of atown. In 1890 a nest was built and a brood
raised not a hundred yards from where I am penning these words,
BLUE GROSBEAK. 371
—almost within the shadow of Memorial Hall. The nest was
laid upon a branch that hung over the sidewalk of Oxford Street,
not more than ten or twelve feet from the ground, the tree being
in the garden adjoining the residence of Mr. Francis Foster.
BLUE GROSBEAK.
GUIRACA CARULEA.
Cuar. Male: genera] plumage rich blue, darker on the back; feath-
ers around base of bill, wings, and tail black; two bright rufous bands
on the wings. Female: smaller; above, yellowish brown; below, dark
buff. Length 6% to 7 inches.
Vest. Ona low branch of a tree or bush, situated along the margin of
a wood, or in an open pasture or orchard, or by a roadside, —sometimes
in an alder swamp or blackberry thicket; composed of leaves, weed-
stems, and grass, lined with horse-hair, roots, or fine grass; occasionally
pieces of snake skin or newspaper are worked into the exterior.
Leggs. 3-4; light blue; 0.85 X 0.65.
This shy and almost solitary species chiefly inhabits the
warmer parts of America from Brazil to Virginia; stragglers
occasionally also visit the lower parts of Pennsylvania and
New Jersey, and Bullock observed them on the tableland of
Mexico. According to Wilson, it is nearly a silent bird, seldom
singing in the cage, its usual note of alarm being merely a
loud chuck ; though at times its musical capacity under more
favorable circumstances is suggested by a few low and sweet-
toned notes. It may be fed on Indian corn, hemp-seed,
millet, and the kernels of several kinds of berries.
According to Audubon, these birds arrive in Louisiana
about the middle of March. They proceed through Alabama,
Georgia, and the Carolinas, in all which districts they breed ;
and although rarely seen in the Western States, Mr. Townsend
and myself met with them in May on the borders of the
Platte, near Scott’s Bluffs, where they were already mated and
breeding. They are sometimes met with along the Atlantic
coast as far as New Jersey, and Audubon found a nest in that
State within a few miles of Philadelphia. Their food consists
372 SINGING BIRDS.
principally of different sorts of seeds; they are also fond of
those of rice, and grass of all kinds. At the period of breeding
they sing with great sweetness and melody.
This species is still considered a Southern bird; but it regularly
visits Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Kansas, and has been taken in
Massachusetts, Maine, and New Brunswick.
PURPLE FINCH.
LINNET.
CARPODACUS PURPUREUS.
CHAR. Male: no “purple;” body rosy crimson, brightest on the
head, darkest on the back, palest on the preast; belly white ; wings and
tail dusky; everywhere streaked more or less with brown and gray.
Female and young: without red; streaked brown and gray, sometimes
with olive tint. Length about 6% inches.
Vest. Near a settlement and in some old pasture, open grove, park, or
orchard; composed of twigs, weea-stems, roots, and bark, lined with fine
grass or hair.
£ggs. 4-5; pale dull bluish green, variously marked with dark brown
and lilac; 0.85 X 0.60.
These brilliant and cheerful songsters inhabit the Northern
and Western States during the summe., where they rear their
young. ‘They appear to have a great predilection for resinous
evergreens, pine, and spruce, and feed upon the berries of the
juniper and red cedar as well as the seeds of the tulip-tree and
others ; they likewise frequent gardens tor the same purpose,
and are particularly pleased with sunflower seeds and other
oily kinds. When reduced to necessity they are observed to
eat the buds of the beech and those of the fruit-trees, — prob-
ably for the sake of the stamens contained in them, of which
they are greedy when displayed in the opening blossoms. The
stipules of the expanding buds of the elm, which are sweet
and mucilaginous, as well as the young capsules of the willow
in the spring, also make a common part of their fare. Their
food in summer, however, consists principally of insects and.
juicy berries, as those of the honeysuckle and others.
PURPLE FINCH. 373
Although the Purple Finch breeds and passes the season in
this vicinity, yet as early as the close of September they leave
us for the South ; about which time and nearly to the close of
October, small, hungry, roving flocks arrive from the more
northern States and Canada or Newfoundland. At the same
time likewise great numbers visit Pennsylvania, the maritime
parts of New York and New Jersey, and many pass the winter
in the Middle States, while others proceed as far south as the
States of Louisiana, Florida, and Texas, returning north in the
latter end of March or early in April, and arriving with us in
the month of May to pass the most important period of their
existence. Roving flocks are also seen here as early as the
24th of March, singing while they stay with great energy and
cheerfulness ; these in all probability proceed to Labrador or
Newfoundland to breed. The males now have many bitter
contests for the choice of their mates, and are very bold and
pugnacious in confinement, attempting to destroy every other
bird introduced into the same cage. ‘They also bite severely
when taken up wounded, but are directly reconciled to the
cage, finding their most important wants so amply supplied ;
yet in this state they often refuse to sing, and after moulting
into the humble plumage of the female, frequently remain so,
without ever renewing their crimson dress. They are here
exposed in cages for sale at high prices (by the name of
Linnets), and sing pretty commonly in confinement. Their
notes are very similar to those of the Warbling Vireo, but
louder, and more agreeably diversified. From the tops of our
lofty and spreading elms or shadowy spruce trees, where they
delight to pass the time, their varied and very cheerful melody
is often continued for hours almost without interval, and
poured forth like a torrent. After a combat with a rival, his
towering notes of victory burst out into rapture, and he now
seems to triumph with loud and petulant hilarity. The song
of this beautiful Finch is indeed much finer than that of the
Canary ; the notes are remarkably clear and mellow, and the
trilling sweet and various, particularly on their first arrival. At
times the warble is scarcely audible, and appears at a distance ;
374 SINGING BIRDS.
it then, by a fine crescendo, bursts into loudness and falls into
an ecstasy of ardent and overpowering expression; at such
times the usual pauses of the song are forgotten, and like the
varied lay of the Nightingale, the ravishing performer, as if in
serious emulation, seems to study every art to produce the
effect of brilliant and well-contrasted harmony. As he sits on
the topmost bough of some tall sapling or more lofty tree, sur-
veying the wide landscape, his proud voice and elevated action
seem to bid defiance to competition ; and while thus earnestly
engaged, he seems to fear no spectator, however near may be
his approaches. The rapidity of his performance and the pre-
eminent execution with which it is delivered seem almost like
the effort of a musical-box or fine-toned, quickly moving, deli-
cate strain on the organ. While feeding in the month of
March these birds also utter a querulous “hippee tshee, in
nearly the same sad and liquid tone as that uttered by the
Yellow Birds while thus engaged. The dull-colored birds, in
the attire of the female, do not sing either so well or in the
same manner as the crimson-colored individuals.
The nest of this species is, as I have observed in two in-
stances in Cambridge, made in the horizontal branches of the
balsam-fir. In the first, which I saw in the garden of Professor
Farrar, it was made in a young tree about 6 feet from the
ground. On approaching it the female sat still until I nearly
touched her, and made very little complaint when off. The
nest was coarse and substantial, very much like that of the
Song Sparrow, composed of coarse grass and lined with fine
root-fibres. From this nest was raised in a cage one of the
young, which became exceedingly docile and affectionate, but
was not remarkable for its song.
In winter the Purple Finch is found regularly, though sparingly,
through the southern and central portions of New England and in
Ontario, and occasionally as far north as New Brunswick. Its
winter range extends southward as far as the Gulf States, while
its breeding area extends from Long Island and Minnesota to the
lower fur countries.
PINE GROSBEAK.
PINICOLA ENUCLEATOR.
Cuar. Male: grayish brown, darkest on the back, shading to ashy
on the rump, washed with rosy carmine, which is deepest on the crown
and rump; wings and tail dusky, the wings with two white bands. Fe-
male and young: similar, but without the rosy coloring; head and rump
washed with pale olive bronze. Length 8% to g inches.
Vest. On the border of a swamp or the margin of a stream running
through an evergreen forest ; saddled on a low branch or in a crotch of
alow bush, or placed in a crevice of a rock. A bulky, ill-made affair
of moss, or twigs and roots or strips of bark, and lined with fine grass,
roots, or vegetable fibre.
Eggs. 4-?; pale greenish blue marked with dark brown and lilac;
1.05 X 0.75.
These splendid and very hardy birds appear to dwell almost
wholly within the cold and Arctic regions of both continents,
whence, only in severe winters, a few migrate into Can-
ada and the United States, where they are consequently of
rare and uncertain occurrence. They have been seen in
winter in the lower part of Missouri, and at the same season,
occasionally, in the maritime parts of Massachusetts and Penn-
sylvania, and are observed to return to Hudson Bay as early as
April. According to Mr. Pennant, they frequent the woods of
pine and juniper, and are now possessed of musical talents ;
376 SINGING BIRDS.
but as the period of incubation approaches they grow silent.
Suited to the sterile climates they inhabit, their fare, besides
the seeds of the pine, alpine plants, and berries, often consists
of the buds of the poplar, willow, and other northern trees and
shrubs ; so that they are generally secure of the means of sub-
sistence as long as the snows are not too overwhelming. The
individuals as yet seen in the United States are wholly young
birds, which, it seems, naturally seek out warmer climates than
the adult and more hardy individuals.
According to Mr. T. McCulloch, of Pictou, Nova Scotia, in
very severe winters flocks of these birds, driven from the pine
forests by famine and cold, collect about the barns, and even
enter the streets of Pictou, alighting in quest of food. A male
bird at this season, caught in a trap, became very familiar, and
as the spring approached he resumed his song in the mornings,
and his notes, like those of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, were
exceedingly rich and full. As, however, the period for migra-
tion approached, his familiarity disappeared, and the desire of
liberty seemed to overcome every other feeling. For four days
in succession his food remained untouched, and his piteous
wailing excited so much commiseration that at length he was
released. The Pine Grosbeak is said to breed in Maine as
well as in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The visits of this handsome bird to New England and the more
southern portions of Canada are decidedly irregular. During an
occasional winter the flocks are large and numerous, while again
for several seasons but a few stragglers may appear.
Dr. Coues thinks that there is no question but that the bitd is a
“resident ” in northern New England, breeding in some parts of
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont; but I am much inclined
to question it. Very possibly a few pairs may pass an occasional
summer in that region, but I can find no evidence of the birds
having been seen there with sufficient frequency to warrant their
being termed residents.
The only known instances of this species having built in the
vicinity of northern New England must be credited to New
Brunswick. These are Boardman’s hypothetical nest, found near
St. Stephen; the unfinished nest which Banks discovered the
parents at work upon, near St. John; and the nest with three
PINE GROSBEAK. 377
young and one egg taken by Cox on the Restigouche, in latitude
47°. But excepting in these three instances, and a fourth where
young birds were seen on the Tobique River, the species has
been unknown as a summer resident in New Brunswick. Cox
saw several examples along the Restigouche in July, 1888, but I
have hunted for them up and down the same river, from the
Wagan to the Metapedia, both in July and September, without
seeing or hearing so much as one,
It is said that the southern limit of its breeding area is in the
vicinity of the soth parallel, though in the West it is somewhat
farther north, as Thompson reports the bird a winter visitor only
at Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie. From thence it ranges far
north — to the Yukon and beyond. In winter the flocks spread
over the country in varying abundance, as far south as Kansas and
Maryland.
Some years ago I kept a male in confinement, and found hima
delightful pet. He was healthy and happy in his cage, was easily
tamed, being confiding and affectionate, and added to his other
good qualities a sweet voice and pretty melody.
The song differs with the season. In winter it is strong and
cheery, as befits a stalwart fellow who laughs at Jack Frost and
makes merry when the north wind blows. But when the’spring-
time comes he tells the old, old story in most gentle tones, —a
whispered love song, sweet and tender, yet with a wild plaintive
ness that makes it peculiarly pleasing.
AMERICAN CROSSBILL.
COMMON CROSSBILL. RED CROSSBILL.
Loxia CURVIROSTRA MINOR.
Cuar. Bill long and compressed, mandibles curved at the points,
which cross or overlap. In young birds the bill is straight. Adult males:
dull red, variable in shade; wings and tail blackish brown. Young males:
yellowish olive. In changing plumage they display great variety of com-
binations of yellow, olive, and red. Females: above, dull olive; rump
and crown yellow; wings and tail as male; below, grayish. Length 5%
to 6 inches.
Nest. Usually in a dense wood, on a branch of an evergreen tree 15
to 30 feet from the ground; made of twigs, strips of bark, weed-stems,
and roots, lined thickly with grass, roots, hair, and feathers.
Eges. 3-4; pale green dotted, near larger end, with brown and laven-
der; 0.75 X 0.57.
This more common species, like the preceding, inhabits the
high northern and arctic regions of both continents, where it
breeds, and is met with from Greenland to Pennsylvania, or
farther south, according to the season and the success in
obtaining food when driven to make a southern descent or
migration. From September to April these birds are found
inhabiting the extensive pine forests in the mountainous and
interior districts of Pennsylvania and other States to the north ;
they also extend their winter migrations into the lower parts of
the State of Missouri. They have occasionally been seen in
the maritime parts of Massachusetts, but are less common
AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 379
here than the following species, generally taking, in their irregu-
lar incursions, a more interior and mountainous route. In the
eastern chain of the Alleghanies, in Pennsylvania, according to
Wilson, they appear to be at times very abundant visitors,
feeding so steadily on the seeds of the white pine and hem-
lock spruce as to be approached without taking alarm. They
have also a loud, sharp, and not unmusical note, chattering as
they fly, and during the prevalence of deep snows become so
tamed by hunger as to alight round the mountain cabins, even
settling on the roofs when disturbed, and, like pigeons, de-
scending in the next moment to feed as if they had never
been molested. They are then easily trapped, and so eager
and unsuspicious as to allow an approach so near that they
may be knocked down with sticks. In these very familiar visits
they are observed even to pick off the clay from the logs of the
house, and to swallow the mere earth to allay the cravings of
hunger. In cages they show many of the habits of the Parrot,
climbing up the sides and holding the pine-cones given them in
one claw while they extract the seeds. Like the same bird in
Louisiana, they also do considerable damage at times in the
orchard by tearing apples to pieces for the sake of getting at
the seeds only. They feed likewise on the seeds of the alder,
as well as the kernels of other fruits and the buds of trees.
Scarcely any of these birds have yet been observed to breed
within the United States, as they retire for this purpose to their
favorite pine forests in high and more cool latitudes, where in
security and solitude they pursue the duties of procreation.
Dr. Brewer, of Boston, however, obtained eggs of these birds
from Coventry, in Vermont. Like the preceding species, they
often breed in winter in more temperate countries, as in
January and February, and the young fly in March.
This bird was not observed by the naturalists of the north-
ern expeditions in any part of the fur countries. It is, how-
ever, described by Forster. In the winter of 1832, during or
soon after a severe snow-storm, a large flock of these, uncer-
tain winter visitors were seen in a red-cedar grove near to
Mount Auburn, in this vicinity. In 1833, accompanied by the
380 SINGING BIRDS.
White-winged species, a flock of the same birds made their
appearance as early as the 11th of November in some tall
pine-trees in the same place they visited the last year in the
depth of winter. They are very busy and unsuspicious, having
very much the manners of Parrots in their feeding. At some
distance beneath the trees where they are engaged, we can
hear them forcing open the scales of the rigid pine cones with
a considerable crackling, and the wings of the seeds fly about
in all directions. Sometimes the little Redpolls also attend to
snatch a seed or two as they are spread to the winds. They
fly somewhat like the Yellow Birds, by repeated jerks and sink-
ings and risings in their course, but proceed more swiftly and
directly to their destination; they also utter a rather loud and
almost barking or fifing chirp, particularly the females, like
"tsh 'tship ’tsh ’tship. Their enemies seem also to follow them
into this distant and unusual retreat. One evening, as they
were uttering their quailing chirp, and about to roost in the
pines, we heard an unusual cry, and found that the alarm was
justly occasioned by the insidious and daring attack of a bold
Butcher Bird (Lantus borealis), who had taken advantage of
their bewildered confusion at the moment of retiring to repose.
Besides their call and ordinary plaints, we hear, as I have
thought, now and then, in the warmer part of the day, a rather
agreeable, but somewhat monotonous, song. We found these
birds, as well as the Redpolls, very fat and plump; and they
devour a great quantity of pine-seeds, with which the cesopha-
gus is perpetually gorged as full as in the gluttonous and tune-
less Cedar Birds (Bombycilia).
The Red Crossbill is still known to be chiefly a winter visitor to
New England and the Middle States, though every summer a
small number may be met with in the more northern districts and
on the crests of the Alleghanies south to Georgia. In April, 1859,
Mr. G. S. Miller, Jr., found a flock on Cape Cod, and upon dis-
secting several, he discovered evidence that they were nesting.
In northern Maine and New Brunswick numbers have been seen
during the summer months; but even in these regions the bird is
chiefly a winter visitor, and at that season it ranges to the Southern
States.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 381
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.
LoxIA LEUCOPTERA,
Cuar. Bill long and compressed, mandibles curved at the points,
which cross or overlap. Male: dull rosy, clouded with dull dark brown
on the back; wings and tail black; two broad white bars on the wings;
belly dull white streaked with brown. Female: dull olive, paler beneath;
rump buffy. Young: similar to female, but paler olive above, and more
decided yellow beneath, streaked everywhere with dark brown. As the
young mature they are subject to considerable variation. Length about
6 to 63% inches.
Nest. In the deep forest, on an evergreen, amid the denser foliage
near the centre of the tree; made of twigs and strips of birch bark, cov-
ered with moss (sea), and lined with soft moss and hair.
Eggs. 3-?; pale blue, spotted and streaked near larger end with red-
dish brown and lilac; 0.80 X 0.55.
This beautiful and well-distinguished species inhabits the
northern regions of the American continent only, whence,
at irregular intervals, on the approach of winter, it arrives in
the Northern and Middle States, and, as usual with the rest of
this curious family, seeks out the pine and hemlock-spruce
forests. Its visits to this State [Massachusetts] are very
irregular. About two years ago, large, gregarious, famished
flocks were seen near Newburyport and other neighboring
towns in the vicinity of the sea-coast, at which time many
were caught, killed, and caged. The habits of this bird are
almost entirely similar to those of the preceding species. Its
song is said to be mellow and agreeable, and in captivity it
becomes gentle and familiar.
According to Mr. Hutchins, it arrives around Hudson Bay
in March, and in May builds a nest of grass, mud, and feath-
ers, fixed generally about half way up a pine-tree, and lays 5
white eggs marked with yellowish spots. The young fly about
the end of June. It remains in this country till the close of
November, after which it retires, probably to the South; and
Wilson’s bird was obtained in the Great Pine Swamp or forest
of the Pokono (Pennsylvania), in the month of September,
so that it may be possible that some few pairs breed in this
situation.
382 SINGING BIRDS.
This species, according to Richardson, inhabits the dense
white spruce forests of the fur countries, feeding principally on
the seeds of the cones. It ranges through the whole breadth
of the continent, and probably up to the 68th parallel, where
the forests terminate. It is usually seen in the upper branches
of trees, and when wounded still clings so fast as to remain
suspended after death. In September, collecting in smali
flocks, they fly from tree to tree in a restless manner and make
a chattering noise ; and in the depth of winter they retire from
the coast to seek shelter in the thick woods of the interior.
This interesting bird must still be written “irregular” in its oc-
currence in Massachusetts, though usually more or less abundant
in winter down to the 4oth parallel, and occasionally ranging as far
south as Virginia.
It is partially sedentary in northern New England and the Mari-
time Provinces of Canada, though much more abundant in winter
than during the warm weather. Mr. MclIlwraith considers the bird
a winter visitor only to southern Ontario, and Mr. Thompson makes
a similar report for Manitoba though he thinks it may breed there.
The nest is built in January and February, —I have known of
numerous nests being discovered in. New Brunswick in those
months, — and it is probable that both young and old retire farther
northward after the young birds are able to fly. :
The flight of the Crossbills is undulating, like the flight of the
American Goldfinch, and their songs are similar. They sing on
the wing, and as a flock passes overhead on a clear winter’s day
their sweet voices come through the quiet air with pleasing effect.
PLIX.
1-2. Pine Grosbeak. 5.Rose-Breasted Grosbeak.
3-4. Purple Finch. 6~7. While-Wing Gross Bill.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.
SITTA CAROLINENSIS.
CuHar. Above, bluish ash; top of head and neck black; wings black,
blue, and white; tail black, marked with white; beneath, white; under
tail-coverts reddish brown. Bill long and acute. Female and young
similar, but black of head tinged with ashy or wanting. Length 53¢
inches.
Nest. In open woodland, placed at the bottom of a cavity excavated
in a dead tree or stump, — sometimes an old woodpecker’s nest is used;
made of leaves, grass, feathers, and hair.
£ggs. 4-8 (occasionally as many as Io, usually 5); white tinged with
rose pink, and spotted with reddish brown and lilac ; 0.80 X 0.60.
This species, so nearly allied to the European Nuthatch, re-
sides permanently throughout North America, from Hudson
Bay and Oregon to the tableland of Mexico, appearing only
more common and familiar at the approach of winter in con-
sequence of the failure of its food in its favorite sylvan re-
treats, which it now often forsakes for the open fields, orchards,
or gardens, where, in pairs or small and sometimes contending
384 SINGING BIRDS. \
parties, they cautiously glean a transient means of subsistence,
and wander from place to place as the supply diminishes. At
the welcome return, however, of the month of April, with the
revival and renewal of its insect fare the Nuthatch becomes
more domestic; and retiring into the forest with its mate, it
prepares for its progeny in some hollow tree, or even in a rail
of the neighboring fence. The male is now assiduously atten-
tive to his sitting mate, supplying her regularly with food; on
which occasion he affectionately calls her from the mouth of
her dark and voluntary prison, where sometimes, in mere
sociability, he attempts in his rude way to soothe her with his
complaisant chatter. He is too affectionate to ramble from
this favorite spot, where he not only accompanies his consort,
but, sentinel-like, watches and informs her of every threaten-
ing danger. When the pair are feeding on the trunk of the
same tree, or near to each other in the same wood, the faithful
male is heard perpetually calling upon his companion at short
intervals as he circumambulates the trunk. His approach is
announced usually at a distance by his nasal hank hank,
frequently repeated, as in spiral circles round the trunk of
some tree he probes, searches, and shells off the bark in quest
of his lurking prey of spiders, ants, insects, and their larva in
general. So tight and secure is his hold that he is known to
roost indifferently with his head up or down from the tree;
and when wounded, while any spark of life remains, his con-
vulsive and instinctive grasp is still firmly and obstinately
maintained. Sometimes, with a sort of complaisant curiosity,
one of the birds, when there is a pair, will silently descend
nearly to the foot of the tree, where the spectator happens to
stand, stopping, head downwards, and stretching out his neck,
as it were, to reconnoitre your appearance and motives; and
after an interval of silence, wheeling round, he again ascends
to his usual station, trumpeting his notes as before. He seldom
wholly quits the forest, but when baffled by the slippery sleet
which denies him a foothold, he is sometimes driven to the
necessity of approaching the barnyard and stables, or the
precincts of the dwelling, where, occasionally mixing among
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 385
the common fowls, entering the barn, examining its beams and
rafters, he seems to leave no means untried to secure a
subsistence.
This species is doubtless a resident in Ontario and New Eng-
land, becoming more abundant during the winter months; but in
the Maritime Provinces it is only a summer visitor.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.
SITTA CANADENSIS.
CHAR. Above, ashy blue (top and side of head black on the male);
broad stripe of white over the eyes; wings blackish, with ashy markings;
outer tail-feathers black with white patches; beneath, reddish brown,
paler in the female; chin white; bill long and acute. Length 4%
inches.
Nest. In open woodland ; an excavation in a decayed stub, lined with
grass and roots. Often the entrance is surrounded with fir balsam.
Lges. 4-6; white with pale roseate tint and thickly spotted with brown
and lilac; 0.60 X 0.50.
The habits of these smaller birds are almost similar to the
preceding ; they have, however, a predilection for pine forests,
feeding much on the oily seeds of these evergreens. In these
barren solitudes they are almost certain to be found in busy
employment, associating in pairs with the Chickadees and
smaller Woodpeckers, the whole forming a hungry, active, and
noisy group, skipping from tree to tree with petulant chatter,
probing and rattling the dead or leafless branches, prying in
every posture for their scanty food, and, like a horde of Tar-
tars, proceed through the forest and leisurely overrun the whole
of the continent to the very confines of the tropics, retiring
north in the same manner with the advance of the spring.
The notes of this species of Nuthatch, though similar, are
sharper than those of the preceding, resembling day day daitt,
and sounding almost like a child’s trumpet. Its motions are
also quicker. They cling to the bark of the tree and roost
commonly with the head downwards, in the manner of their
whole tribe.
VOL. I. — 25
386 SINGING BIRDS.
This species has a more extended range than carolinensis, being
found farther west and farther north. It breeds from northern
New England and Manitoba northward and southward along the
Alleghanies. In winter it ranges from New Brunswick to the Gulf
States.
BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH.
SITTA PUSILLA.
Cuar. Above, ashy blue; top of head and neck brown; white spot
on back of neck; wings black and bluish; middle tail-feathers like back,
others black tipped with bluish; beneath, dull brownish white tinged
with pale ash behind; throat white. Bill long, slender, and acute.
Length 4 to 4% inches.
Nest. In open woodland; an excavation in a dead stump, lined with
grass, leaves, and feathers.
Leggs. 4-6; white, thickly marked with fine spots of reddish brown and
pale lilac; 0.60 X 0.50.
This small species is seldom seen to the north of the State
of Virginia. In the Southern States it is rather common, and
is also met with in the island of Jamaica. Like the last, which
it resembles in manners, it is very fond of pine-trees, and
utters a similar note, but more shrill and chirping. Its food,
besides the seeds of the pine, is usually the insects which infest
the forest trees. In winter families of this species of 8 or 10
individuals may be seen busily hunting in company, and keep-
ing up a perpetual and monotonous screeping. It is less
suspicious than most other sylvan birds, sometimes descending
down the trunk of a tree watching the motions of the by-
stander; and if the intrusion happens to be near the nest, or
while engaged in digging it out, the little harmless mechanic
utters a sort of complaining note, and very unwillingly relin-
quishes his employment, which is instantly renewed on the
removal of the observer.
This species is restricted to the Southern and Gulf States, rarely
wandering north of Virginia and Maryland; but examples have
been taken in New York, Missouri, Ohio, and Michigan.
BROWN CREEPER, 387
BROWN CREEPER.
CERTHIA FAMILIARIS AMERICANA,
Cuar. Above, grayish brown, each feather streaked with dull white;
rump rufous; wings with a band of buffy white ; beneath, dull white or
pale gray. Length about 5% inches.
Nest. In deep woods, placed behind a sliver of loose bark on a
decayed tree or stub; made of shreds of bark and wsxea moss firmly
interwoven and set on a platform of twigs. It is sometimes lined with
feathers.
Eggs. 4-8; white or creamy, — when freshly laid, tinted with pale
roseate, — spotted with reddish brown ; 0.60 X 0.50.
This industrious forager for insects, chiefly dwelling in the
seclusion of the forest, is but seldom seen in the summer; but
on the approach of winter, with other hungry wanderers of
similar habits such as the small Woodpeckers and Nuthatches,
it makes its appearance on the wooded skirts of the village,
particularly among the pine-trees, and occasionally becomes
familiar enough to pay a passing visit to the orchard. In this
country, however, the species is neither common nor familiar,
nor is it more abundant in the Northern than the Middle
States, though its breeding range extends from Pennsylvania to
Newfoundland.
The bill of the Creeper not being of sufficient strength to
probe the wood, it rests contented with examining the crevices
of the bark fer insects and their eggs, proceeding leisurely
upwards or downwards in straight or spiral lines towards the
top of the tree, dodging dexterously to the opposite side from
the observer, and only resuming its occupation when assured
of solitude and safety. While thus employed it utters at short
intervals a sharp, quick, rather grating note, by which its resort
may be discovered, though it requires some time and a good
eye to perceive it if on the upper branches of a tall tree.
Though it lives chiefly on insects, it also, according to Wilson,
collects the seeds of the pine for food, and is particularly fond
of the vermin which prey on those kinds of trees. In the
thick forests which it inhabits in the Northern and Western
388 SINGING BIRDS.
States about the middle of April, it commences the nest in the
hollow trunk or branch of a tree which has been exposed to
decay by injury or accident. Here in the accidental cavities
or deserted holes of the squirrel or Woodpecker the Creeper
deposits her eggs. The young creep about with great caution
previous to taking to their wings.
The Brown Creeper is a common bird in New England, though
in the southern portions it occurs in the winter only, its breeding
area extending from Maine and Minnesota northward. In winter
it ranges as far southward as the Gulf States. It is common in
Ontario and Quebec, but less abundant in the Maritime Provinces.
An interesting account of the breeding habits of this bird, written
by Mr. William Brewster, appeared in the Nuttall Bulletin for
July, 1879.
Mr. Brewster credits the Creeper with a tender song, which
falls upon the ear “like the soft sigh of the wind among the pine
boughs.”
BAHAMA HONEY CREEPER.
C@REBA BAHAMENSIS,
Cuar. Above, dark brown; rump yellow; stripe over eyes and un.
der parts dull white; breast and edge of wing pale yellow; tail broadly
tipped with white. Length 4% inches.
Vest. Ina low tree or bush; a large, pensile, dome-shaped structure.
the entrance at the side; made of weed-stems and grass, and lined with
plant down.
Leggs. 2-4; white, tinged with green and speckled with rufous: 0.65
X 0.50. °
The home of this species is on the Bahamas, but a straggler
has been found on the coast of Florida. Mr. Gosse in his “ Birds
of Jamaica” gives an interesting account of this bird’s habits. He
describes it as obtaining its food in much the same manner as
Humming Birds, — by probing the flowers; but instead of hover-
ing in front of a flower, the Creeper alights on the tree. When
examining a flower for the insects which are at the bottom of the
cup, the bird throws its body into a variety of positions, sometimes
with the back downward, the better to reach the interior of a
blossom with its curved bill and peculiar tongue. The ‘bird is
unsuspecting and familiar, and freely resorts to the blossoming
shrubs of a garden.
BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER.
BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER.
MNIOTILTA VARIA.
Cuar. Above, black striped with white, head, wings, and tail mostly
black; beneath, white, more or less striped: with black. Female and
young without stripes on the throat. Length 4% to 5% inches.
Vest. In open woodland or pasture; placed at the foot of a tree or
stump, or at the base of a moss-covered rock, sometimes in a hole; made
of grass, moss, and shreds of bark, and lined with grass, hair, roots, and
vegetable down.
Eggs. 4-5; creamy white, thickly spotted with pale reddish brown;
0.65 X 0.50.
This remarkable bird, allied to the Creepers, is another
rather common summer resident in most parts of the United
States, and probably migrates pretty far to the north. It
arrives in Louisiana by the middle of February, visits Pennsyl-
vania about the second week in April, and a week later appears
in the woods of New England, protracting its stay in those
countries till the beginning of October, and lingering on the
southern limits of the Union a month later, so that it does not
appear to be much affected by the commencement of frost,
and probably at this season occasionally feeds on berries.
As numbers are observed round Vera Cruz toward the com-
mencement of winter, and are described as inhabiting the
West India islands, it is probable they pass the extremity of
the winter beyond the southern boundary of the Union.
390 SINGING BIRDS.:
Like the Creepers and Nuthatches, these birds are seldom
seen to perch upon the branches of trees, but creep spirally
around the trunk and larger boughs up and down, in quest of
insects which alight upon or hide within the crevices of the
bark. In this employment they display all the dexterity of the
more regular climbers. For this purpose the hind toe is rather
stout, and extends backward so as to balance with the anterior
part of the foot, and allow a motion like that of the Creepers,
from which genus they are at the same time wholly distinct.
At the period of breeding, the male scrapes out a little
monotonous ditty in recognition of his mate, resembling some-
what the syllables ¢e she tshe tshe tsh’ tsheté, proceeding from
high to low in a tolerably strong and shrill, but somewhat
filing tone. As the season of incubation advances, this note,
however, becomes more mellow and warbling, and though
feeble, is very pleasing, bearing at this time some resemblance
to that of the Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). This song is like
the ascending call of ‘twee ’twee 'twee 'twee tweet. At the
romantic estate of the Cold Spring place in Roxbury the pro-
prietor, Mr. Newman, pointed out to me the nest of this bird,
which on the 27th of June contained four young about a week
old. Other birds of this species I had seen fledged this year
about the 17th of the same month, and as Wilson remarks the
flight of the young in July, we may suppose that they raise two
broods in the season. The nest was niched in the shelving of
a rock on the surface of the ground, and was externally com-
posed of coarse strips of the inner bark of the hemlock-trees,
which overshadowed the situation. With these were mixed soft,
dissected old leaves and a few stalks of dead grass; the lining
was made of a thin layer of black hair. According to Audu-
bon, these birds nest in Louisiana in some small hole in a tree,
and employ dry moss and a lining of downy substances. The
pair fed the young before us with affectionate attention, and
did not seem more uneasy at our presence than the common
and familiar summer Yellow Bird. They crept about the trunks
of the neighboring trees, often head downwards, like the Sittas,
and carried large smooth caterpillars to their young. This is,
PURPLE MARTIN. 391
in fact, at all times a familiar, active, and unsuspicious little
visitor of the shady gardens and orchards, as well as woods
and solitudes.
The Black and White Creeper, as this species is usually called,
breeds from the Southern States to Fort Simpson. It is abundant
in southern New England, and fairly common in the Maritime
Provinces.
It was first classed with the Warblers by Spencer Baird in 1859,
and has been retained there by all later authorities. Nuttall con-
sidered that there were two species, one of which he named dorealis ;
but it has not been considered valid, though Ridgway, in his ‘“‘ Man-
ual,” suggests the name W/. varia borealis for a supposed Missis-
sippi valley and Middle American race, which he describes as
somewhat smaller than true varia; but he thinks the material at
hand insufficient to warrant a positive decision, so we are saved the
infliction of this much “ hair-splitting.”
PURPLE MARTIN.
PROGNE SUBIS.
Cuar. Male: lustrous black with purple tint, wings and tail with
brownish tint. Female and young: browner above, and beneath grayish.
Length 7% inches.
Nest. Ina box, or attached to the eave of a house; sometimes in a
decayed tree; made of grass, leaves, etc.
Eggs. 4-6; white and glossy; 0.95 X 0.75.
According to the progress of the season in the very different
climates of the United States, is measured the arrival of this
welcome messenger of spring. Around the city of New Or-
leans, for example, the Purple Martin is seen from the 1st to
the oth of February. At the Falls of the Ohio, it is not seen
before the middle of March, and representatives do not arrive
in the vicinity of Philadelphia until the first week in April; on
the 25th of that month, or later, they visit the vicinity of Bos-
ton, and penetrate even to the cold regions of Hudson Bay,
where they arrive in May and retire in August ; about the 2oth
of the same month they also leave the State of Pennsylvania.
The migrations of these birds are remarkably extensive, as
they were seen by Mr. Swainson in great numbers around Per-
392 SINGING BIRDS.
nambuco. Mr. Townsend met with them on the Rocky Moun-
tains, and Audubon observed them breeding in Texas. In
Oregon we found them nesting in the knot-holes of the oaks,
and they did not appear to court the society of man, as we
seldom saw them near the fort. In their haste to return to
their natal climes, they sometimes expose themselves to fatal
accidents from changeable and unfavorable weather. In the
maritime parts of Massachusetts, and probably throughout the
State, a few years ago after a rainy midsummer, many were
found dead in their boxes, and they have since been far less
numerous than formerly.
This beautiful species, like many others of the family, seeks
out the dwellings of man, associating itself equally with the
master and the slave, the colonist and the aboriginal. To the
Martin it is indifferent whether its mansion be carved and
painted, or humbled into the hospitable shell of the calabash
or gourd. Secure of an asylum for its mate and young, while
under the protection of man it twitters forth its gratitude, and
is everywhere welcomed to a home. So eager is it to claim
this kind of protection that sometimes it ventures hostilities
with the Bluebirds and domestic Pigeons, who are often forced
to abandon their hereditary claims. Satisfied with the recep-
tion and success, like so many contented and faithful domes-
tics, it returns year after year to the same station. The
services of the Martin in driving away Hawks and Crows from
the premises he claims, are also important inducements for
favor; he has even the courage to attack the redoubtable
Kingbird, when its visits are too familiar near the nest.
At the approaching dawn the merry Martin begins a lively
twitter, which, continuing for half a minute, subsides until the
twilight is fairly broken. To this prelude succeeds an ani-
mated and incessant musical chattering, sufficient, near the
dwelling, to awaken the soundest sleeper. His early vigils are
scarcely exceeded by the domestic Cock; the industrious
farmer hears the pleasing call to labor, and associates with this
favorite bird the idea of an economical, cheerful, and useful
guest.
PURPLE MARTIN. 393
In the Middle States, from the 15th to the 2oth of April,
the Martins begin to prepare their nest, which is usually made
of small green or dry leaves, straws, hay, and feathers, laid in
considerable quantities. They rear two broods in the season.
Several pairs also dwell harmoniously in the same box. The
male, very attentive to his sitting mate, also takes part in the
task of incubation ; and his notes at this time have apparently
a peculiar and expressive tenderness.
The food of the Martin is usually the larger winged insects,
as wasps, bees, large beetles, such as the common Ce/ondas, or
goldsmiths, which are swallowed whole. His flight possesses
all the swiftness, ease, and grace of the tribe. Like the Swift,
he glides along, as it were, without exertion. Sometimes he is
seen passing through the crowded streets, eluding the passen-
gers with the rapidity of thought; at others he sails among
the clouds at a dizzy height like something almost ethereal.
The Purple Martin occurs throughout the Maritime Provinces,
though nowhere common, and is extremely local in its distribution.
It is rather rare near Quebec, but common at Montreal and
throughout Ontario. Observers in Winnipeg consider the bird
abundant there, and it is said to range north to the Saskatchewan
valley. It breeds from the Gulf States northward, and winters in
South America.
Small colonies of these Martins are found scattered through
New England at widely separated localities, accepting, usually, the
proffered hospitality of friendly villagers who provide them with
homes, though an occasional coterie may be found nesting in the
primitive manner of their ancestors,—rearing their broods in
natural cavities of trees or in crevices of rocks, as was the custom
of their race before the Europeans led them into more Sybaritic
habits.
Note. — The CuBAN MartTIN (Progue cryptoleuca) is a summer
resident of southern Florida.
BARN SWALLOW.
CHELIDON ERYTHROGASTRA.
Cuar. Upper parts steel blue; forehead, throat, and breast rich
chestnut; belly paler; tail deeply forked, — outer feathers several inches
longer than the inner. Length 54 to 734 inches.
Vest. Attached to a rafter of a barn or the side of a cave; cup
shaped; made of pellets of mud bound with grass, and lined with grass
and feathers.
Eggs. 3-6; white, variously marked with dark brown, reddish brown,
or purplish brown and lilac; 0.75 X 0.55.
The Barn Swallows arrive in Florida and the maritime parts
of Georgia about the middle of March, but are not seen in the
Middle States before the last of that month or the beginning
BARN SWALLOW. 395
of April. Their northern migration extends to the sources of
the Mississippi, the Rocky Mountains, and the fur countries,
where, distant from the habitations of man, they inhabit caves,
particularly those in the limestone rocks. They retire from
Massachusetts about the 18th of September, and are observed
in the same month and in October passing over the penin-
sula of Florida on their way to tropical America, where they
probably pass the winter. I have seen a straggling pair in
this vicinity even on the 15th of October. The fleetness with
which they move, and the peculiarity of their insect fare, are
circumstances which would impel a prompt transition to more
favorable climates. Accidental fits of torpidity, like those
which occasionally and transiently take place with the Hum-
ming Bird, have undoubtedly happened to Swallows, without
proving anything against the general migrating instinct of the
species, which as long back as the time of Anacreon has been
generally observed.
Early in May they begin to build against a beam or rafter,
usually in the barn. The external and rounding shell is made
of pellets of mud tempered with fine hay and rendered more
adhesive by the glutinous saliva of the bird; within is laid a
bed of fine hay, and the lining is made of loosely arranged
feathers. They have usually two broods in the season, and the
last leave the nest about the first week in August. Twenty or
thirty nests may sometimes be seen in the same barn, and two
or three in a cluster, where each pursues his busy avocation in
the most perfect harmony. When the young are fledged, the
parents, by their actions and twitterings, entice them out of
the nest, to exercise their wings within the barn, where they sit
in rows amid the timbers of the roof, or huddle closely to-
gether in cool or rainy weather for mutual warmth. At length
they venture out with their parents, and, incapable of constant
exercise, may now be seen on trees, bushes, or fence-rails, near
some pond or creek convenient to their food; and their diet
is disgorged from the stomachs or crops of their attentive
parents. When able to provide for themselves, they are still
often fed on the wing, without either party alighting ; so aérial
396 SINGING BIRDS.
and light are all their motions that the atmosphere alone
seems to be their favorite element. In the latter end of
summer, parties of these social birds may be often seen by the
sides of dusty roads, in which they seem pleased to bask.
About the middle of August they leave the barns, and begin
to prepare for their departure, assembling in great numbers on
the roofs, still twittering with great cheerfulness. Their song
is very sprightly, and sometimes a good while continued. Some
of these sounds seem like ’?’/ ’?’/e ’?/efalit, uttered with rapid-
ity and great animation. A while before their departure, they
are observed skimming along the rivers and ponds after insects
in great numbers, till the approach of sunset, when they assem-
ble to roost in the reeds.
The Barn Swallow is a common bird throughout this Eastern
Province, and northward to Greenland and Alaska.
It winters in the West Indies and south to Brazil.
CLIFF SWALLOW.
EAVE SWALLOW.
PETROCHELIDON LUNIFRONS.
Cuar. Above, dark steel blue ; forehead dull white; wings and tail
brownish black ; rump rufous; chin, throat, and collar around neck deep
chestnut ; patch of blue black on breast; remaining under-parts pale
gray tinged with rufous. Length about 5% inches.
West. Fastened to the side of a cliff or the eave of a building; made
of pellets of mud and lined with grass and feathers. Usually gourd-
shaped, the entrance at the mouth of the gourd, —sometimes open on
top.
£egs. 4-6; white, variously marked with shades of brown and purple;
0.80 X 0.55.
The Cliff Swallows have but recently come to the notice of
naturalists. Their summer residence in the temperate parts
of America is singularly scattered. They have long occupied
the regions of the Rocky Mountains, extending to the banks of
the Columbia, and the cliffs of the Missouri, and are probably
to be found on other large Western rivers. According to
CLIFF SWALLOW, 397
Richardson they are extremely abundant in the fur countries.
In 1815 they were observed for the first time at Henderson,
on the banks of the Ohio, and at Newport in Kentucky. In
1817 they made their appearance at Whitehall, near Lake
Champlain, in the western part of the State of New York. In
these places their increase seems to have kept pace with the
time since their arrival, augmenting their nests from a single
cluster to several hundreds in the course of four or five years.
Vieillot observed one at sea off Nova Scotia, and they have, in
fact, long been commonly known in that Province. In 1818,
as I learn from J. W. Boott, Esq., they began to build at Craw-
ford’s, near the base of the White Mountains of New Hamp-
shire. In the summer of 1830 a few nests were seen by
General Dearborn at Winthrop in Maine; he had also heard
of one at Gardiner in the same State. The hibernal retreat of
these birds would appear to be in the West Indies, as they
were seen in Porto Rico by Vieillot, and one was also observed
in St. Domingo by the same author.
In the Western States they arrive from the South early in
April, and almost immediately begin to construct their nests.
They commence their labor at the dawn, and continue their
operations until near mid-day. The nests are made of pellets
of sandy mud, disposed in layers until the fabric, with its
entrance, assumes the form of a projecting retort, agglutinated
to cliffs or the walls of buildings as convenience may offer.
From the nature of the friable materials employed, the whole
is frail, and would crumble in the possession of any but the
airy owners. The internal lining is of straw and dried grass
negligently disposed for the reception of the eggs. They raise
but a single brood, who, with their parents, after several
attempts at mustering, finally disappear in August as suddenly
as they came. Mr. Townsend says: “In the neighborhood of
the Columbia River the Cliff Swallow attaches its nest to the
trunks of trees, making it of the same form and materials as
elsewhere.” The face of Pillar Rock, an isolated columnar
mass of basalt near Chinhook, at the estuary of the Columbia,
was rendered still more fantastic and picturesque by the nests
398 SINGING BIRDS.
of the Cliff Swallow with which it was faced; a small colony
having taken up their abode here. These were, as usual, made
of pellets of mud, enclosed at the top, but without the retort
necks. ,
Like the rest of their congeners, these birds are almost per-
petually on the wing in quest of flies and other small insects
which constitute their ordinary food. Their note does not
appear to resemble a twitter, and according to Audubon it
may be imitated by rubbing a moistened cork round in the
neck of a bottle. In Kentucky, until the commencement of
incubation, the whole party resorted to roost in the hollow
limbs of the buttonwood-trees. However curious, it is certain
that the birds have but recently discovered the advantage of
associating round the habitations of men.
Numerous colonies of this species are found throughout New
England and the Maritime Provinces, and a few pairs have been
seen at Point de Monts, on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Law-
rence, which is the limit of its northward range near the Atlantic,
though in the interior it ranges much farther north. It breeds
southward to the Gulf States, and winters in South America.
It is highly probable that the habit of breeding in large commu-
nities, and thus becoming “local” in distribution, will account for
the report of their having moved eastward during the first half of
the present century. As a matter of fact, Audubon discovered the
species in Kentucky five years before Say found it among the
Rockies. That the older writers knew so little about the bird
should not be taken as evidence of its absence, —they failed to
learn the history of several equally common species; and after the
added years we are still ignorant of the breeding habits of some of
these birds.
NoTE. — The Cusan CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon fulva)
has been taken in Florida.
TREE SWALLOW.
WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. SINGING SWALLOW.
TACHYCINETA BICOLOR.
CuHaR. Above, rich steel blue, wings and tail with green reflections;
beneath, white. Length about 6 inches.
Nest. Ina cavity of a tall dead tree, — often a deserted Woodpecker’s
hole, — sometimes in a bird box; made of grass and straw, lined with
feathers.
Eggs. 4-9 (usually 5); white; 0.75 X 0.55.
This species, less common than the Barn Swallow and nearly
allied to the common Martin, arrives in Pennsylvania and
New England about the middle of April, and extends its migra-
tions over the continent nearly to the Arctic circle, having
been seen by Dr. Richardson in the latitude of 53°; it is
also abundantly dispersed over the Rocky Mountains and the
Columbia River, where it breeds, as well as around Hudson
Bay and throughout the Northern and Middle States. On its
arrival, like many other species, it seeks out the society of
man and frequently takes possession of the mansion of the
Martin. When these advantages are unattainable it will be
content with the eaves of some deserted dwelling, a hollow
tree, its ancient residence, or even an horizontal branch when
large and convenient.
The note of these birds is a shrill, lively, warbling twitter ;
but they are more quarrelsome and less sociable in the breed-
400 SINGING BIRDS.
ing season that the Barn Swallow. In the spring their pro-
tracted, angry contentions, and rapid chatter are often heard in
the air. Their food is similar to that of the species above
mentioned, and they make a snapping sound with the bill in
the act of seizing their prey. They proceed to the South in
September, and according to the observations of Audubon
pass nearly, if not quite, the whole winter in the cypress swamps
near to New Orleans, and probably in the Mexican vicinity.
He observed them about the middle of December, and also
near to the close of January. “ During the whole winter many
retired to the holes around houses, but the greater number
resorted to the lakes, and spent the night among the branches
of the wax-myrtle,” whose berries at this season afford them a
support on which they fatten, and are then considered as excel-
lent food. About sunset they usually began to flock together
at a peculiar call, and were then seen almost in clouds moving
towards thé neighboring lagoons or the estuaries of the Mis-
sissippi. Before alighting they perform their aérial evolutions
to reconnoitre the place of roosting, soon after which they
rapidly descend as it were in a spiral vortex almost like the
fall of a water-spout, and when within a few feet of the wax-
myrttles they disperse and settle at leisure ; but their twittering
and the motions of their wings are heard throughout the night.
At dawn they rise, at first flying low over the waters which
they almost touch, and then rising gradually separate in quest
of food. -During their low flight numbers of them are often
killed by canoe-men with the mere aid of their paddles
(Aububon). This predilection for the borders of lakes and
ponds led some of the ancient writers to believe that Swallows
retired to the bottom of the water during the winter; and
some fishermen on the coast of the Baltic pretended to have
taken them up in their nets in large knots, clinging together
by their bills and claws in a state of torpidity.
The Tree Swallow breeds from the Gulf States north to the
fur countries, and winters from the Southern States to Central
America. Mr. William Brewster believes that these birds have
been driven from the cities of southern New England by the House
Snarrows.
BANK SWALLOW.
SAND MARTIN.
CLIVICOLA RIPARIA.
Cuar. Above, dull grayish brown, which extends around the neck
and across the breast; throat and belly white. Length about 5 inches.
WVest. At the end of a burrow excavated in a bank of sand or gravel,
— usually within a few feet of the top; the bank generally near a stream
of water; the excavation is 2 to 4 feet deep, and widens at the inner end,
where a little dry grass and a few feathers are loosely placed, and on this
cushion the eggs are laid.
Legs. 4-6; white; 0.70 X 0.50.
These plain-looking and smaller birds, though equally grega-
rious with other kinds, do not court the protection or society
of man, —at least their habitations are remote from his. They
commonly take possession for this purpose of the sandy bank
or bluff of a river, quarry, or gravel pit, 2 or 3 feet below the
upper surface of the bank. In such places, in the month of
April, they may be observed burrowing horizontally with their
awl-like bills, when at length, having obtained a foot-hold in
the cliff, they also use their feet and continue this labor to the
depth of 2 or 3 feet. Many of these holes may be often seen
within a few inches of each other. This species has gener-
VOL. I. — 26
402 SINGING BIRDS.
ally two broods in the season, and on the egress of the young
in the latter end of May the piratical Crows often await their
opportunity to destroy them as they issue from the nest. In
rocky countries the birds often take possession of the clefts
on the banks of rivers for their dwelling, and sometimes they
content themselves with the holes of trees.
Their voice is only a low twitter of short lisping notes; and
while busily passing backwards and forwards in the air around
their numerous burrows, they seem at a distance almost similar
to hiving bees. As they arrive earlier than other species, the
cold and unsettled weather often drives them for refuge in
their holes, where they cluster together for warmth, and have
thus been found almost reduced to a state of torpidity. Dwel-
ling thus shut up, they are often troubled with swarms of infest-
ing insects, resembling fleas, which assemble in great numbers
around their holes. They begin to depart to the South from
the close of September to the middle of October. Although
they avoid dwelling near houses, they do not fly from settled
vicinities ; and parties of six or more, several miles from their
nests, have been seen skimming through the streets of adjacent
villages in the province of Normandy.
They are found on both sides of North America, from the
shores of the Atlantic to the borders of the Columbia, and in
all the intermediate region suited to their manner of breeding.
According to Audubon, they winter in great numbers in Florida,
and breed from Labrador to Louisiana.
If the Bank Swallow was found in Labrador by Audubon it has
since changed its Aadctat to the extent of deserting that country,
for during recent years only one example has been seen on the
northern side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, though colonies have
been found on Anticosti and the Magdalen Islands.
In the Far West these birds range to much higher latitudes, a
few having been met with along the valley of the Mackenzie
River, and in Alaska. They breed from the Gulf States northward,
and winter in the tropics, ranging as far south as Brazil. They
are locally common throughout the Eastern States and the adjoin.
ing Provinces.
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW. 403
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW.
STELGIDOPTERYX SERRIPENNIS.
CuaR. Above, grayish brown; beneath, brownish gray, whitening on
the belly. Edge of wings rough to the touch; “outer web of the first
primary with recurved hooklets” which are lacking on the young birds.
Length 5 to 5% inches.
West. Ina cavity of a bank or in a crevice of a stone wall or bridge,
usually near a stream; made of dry grass lined with feathers.
Leggs. 4-7; white; 0.75 X 0.50.
We are indebted to Audubon for the discovery of this spe-
cies so much allied to the preceding, who first observed it
near Bayou Sara, and afterwards in South Carolina. Of its
habits he says nothing; but it is rarer, and he thinks its
habitual residence may prove to be far to the westward, —
perhaps the valleys of the Columbia.
This species is more common in the Western Faunal Province
than in the East; it is abundant in British Columbia, but Mr.
Thompson has not put it in his ‘‘ Birds of Manitoba.” It occurs
regularly, however, throughout the Eastern States north to New
York, Ohio, and Illinois, and sparingly in Connecticut. It has also
been found in parts of Ontario.
In appearance and habits it so closely resembles the Bank Swal-
low that it may be overlooked by the casual observer; it does not,
however, confine its choice of a nesting site to a sand-bank, but
will place its nest amid the stones of a wall or bridge, in a crevice
of a building, or even in a knot-hole. It differs also from the Bank
Swallow in being of a paler color, and both of these birds differ
from our other swallows in wearing no metallic tints.
Note. — The CuBan CiirF SwaLLow (Petrochelidon fulva)
and the BAHAMAN SWALLOw (Cadlichelidon cyaneoviridis) have
been added to the United States fauna by Mr. W. E. D. Scott,
who captured examples on Dry Tortugas island during March and
April, 1890.
KINGBIRD.
BEE MARTIN.
TYRANNUS TYRANNUS.
CuHar. Above, blackish ash, darker on the head; beneath, white;
breast tinged with gray; tail black, tipped with broad band of white.
Crown with concealed patch of yellow or orange red. Length 8 to 9
inches.
Nest. On a branch or in fork of a tree, in garden or pasture; com-
posed of twigs, roots, and moss, lined with roots, horse-hair, and feathers.
The exterior is loosely laid, but the interior is neat and compact.
Eggs. 4-5; creamy white, spotted with light and dark brown; 0.95
X 0.70.
KINGBIRD. 405
This well-known, remarkable, and pugnacious bird takes up
his summer residence in all the intermediate region from the
temperate parts of Mexico to the uninhabited and remote inte-
rior of Canada. In all this vast geographical range the King-
bird seeks his food and rears his young. According to Audu-
bon they appear in Louisiana by the middle of March; and
about the 2oth of April Wilson remarked their arrival in
Pennsylvania in small parties of five or six ; but they are seldom
seen in this part of New England before the middle of May.
They are now silent and peaceable, until they begin to pair,
and form their nests, which takes place from the first to the
last week in May or early in June, according to the advance-
ment of the season in the latitudes of 4o and 43 degrees.
The nest is usually built in the orchard, on the horizontal
branch of an apple or pear tree, sometimes in an oak, in the
adjoining forest, at various heights from the ground, seldom
carefully concealed, and firmly fixed at the bottom to the sup-
porting twigs of the branch. The outside consists of coarse
stalks of dead grass and wiry weeds, the whole well connected
and bedded with cut-weed down, tow,: or an occasional rope-
yarn and wool; it is then lined with dry, slender grass, root
fibres, and horse-hair. The eggs are generally 3 to 5, yel-
lowish white, and marked with a few large, well-defined spots
of deep and bright brown. They often build and hatch twice
in the season.
The Kingbird has no song, only a shrill, guttural twitter,
somewhat like that of the Martin, but no way musical. At
times, as he sits watching his prey, he calls to his mate with a
harsh ¢shé#p, rather quickly pronounced, and attended with
some action. As insects approach him, or as he darts after
them, the snapping of his bill is heard like the shutting of a
watch-case, and is the certain grave of his prey. Beetles,
grasshoppers, crickets, and winged insects of all descriptions
form his principal summer food. I have also seen him col-
lecting the canker-worms from the Elm. ‘Towards autumn, as
various kinds of berries ripen, they constitute a very consider-
able and favorite part of his subsistence ; but with the excep-
406 FLYCATCHERS.
tion of currants (of which he only eats perhaps when confined),
he refuses all exotic productions, contenting himself with
blackberries, whortle-berries, the berries of the sassafras, cornel,
viburnum, elder, poke, and five-leaved ivy. Raisins, foreign
currants, grapes, cherries, peaches, pears, and apples were
never even tasted when offered to a bird of this kind, which I
had many months as my pensioner ; of the last, when roasted,
sometimes, however, a few mouthfuls were relished in the
absence of other more agreeable diet. Berries he always swal-
lowed whole, grasshoppers, if too large, were pounded and
broken on the floor as he held them in his bill. To manage the
larger beetles was not so easy ; these he struck repeatedly against
the ground, and then turned them from side to side, by throwing
them dexterously into the air, after the manner of the Toucan,
and the insect was uniformly caught reversed, as it descended,
with the agility of a practised cup-and-ball player. At length
the pieces of the beetle were swallowed, and he remained still
to digest his morsel, tasting it distinctly soon after it entered
the stomach, as became obvious by the ruminating motion of
his mandibles. When the soluble portion was taken up, large
pellets of the indigestible legs, wings, and shells, as likewise
the skins and seeds of berries, were, in half an hour or less,
brought up and ejected from the mouth in the manner of the
Hawks and Owls. When other food failed he appeared very
well satisfied with fresh minced meat, and drank water fre-
quently, even during the severe frosts of January, which he
endured without much difficulty; basking, however, like Dio-
genes, in the feeble beams of the sun, which he followed round
the room of his confinement, well satisfied when no intruder
or companion threw him into the shade. Some very cold
evenings he had the sagacity to retire under the shelter of a
depending bed-quilt, was very much pleased with the warmth
and brilliancy of lamp-light, and would eat freely at any hour
of the night. Unacquainted with the deceptive nature of
shadows, he sometimes snatched at them for the substances
they resembled. Unlike the Vievos, he retired to rest without
hiding his head in the wing, and was extremely watchful,
KINGBIRD. 407
though not abroad till after sunrise. His taciturnity and disin-
clination to friendship, and familiarity in confinement, were strik-
ing traits. His restless, quick, and side-glancing eye enabled
him to follow the motions of his flying insect prey, and to as-
certain precisely the infallible instant of attack. He readily
caught morsels of food in his bill before they reached the
ground, when thrown across the room, and on these occa-
sions seemed pleased with making the necessary exertion.
He had also a practice of cautiously stretching out his neck,
like a snake, and peeping about either to obtain sight of his
food, to watch any approach of danger, or to examine any-
thing that appeared strange. At length we became so well
acquainted that when very hungry he would express his grati-
tude on being fed by a shrill twitter and a lively look, which
was the more remarkable as at nearly all other times he was
entirely silent.
In a natural state he takes his station on the top of an
apple-tree, a stake, or a tall weed, and betwixt the amusement
of his squeaking twitter, employs himself in darting after his
insect food. Occasionally he is seen hovering over the field,
with beating wing, almost like a Hawk, surveying the ground or
herbage for grasshoppers, which are a favorite diet. At other
times these birds may be observed in companies flickering over
still waters in the same employment, — the gratification of appe-
tite. Now and then, during the heat of summer, they are seen
to dip and bathe in the watery mirror; and with this washing,
drying, and pluming, they appear to be both gratified and
amused. During the season of their sojourn the pair are
often seen moving about in company, with a rapid quivering
of the wings and a continued tremulous, shrieking twitter.
Their energetic and amusing motions are most commonly per-
formed in warm and fine weather, and continue, with little
interruption, until towards the close of August.
One of the most remarkable traits in the character of the
Kingbird is the courage and affection which he displays for his
mate and young; for on his first arrival he is rather timid, and
readily dodges before the Swallow and Purple Martin. Indeed
408 FLYCATCHERS.
at this season I have seen the Spotted Sandpiper drive away a
pair of Kingbirds because they happened to approach the
premises of her nest. But he now becomes, on this important
occasion, so tenacious of his rights as readily to commence the
attack against all his feathered enemies, and he passes several
months of the summer in a scene of almost perpetual contest ;
and not overrating his hostile powers, he generally finds means
to come off with impunity. Eagles, Hawks, Crows, Jays, and
in short every bird which excites his suspicion by its inten-
tional or accidental approach, are attacked with skill and
courage ; he dives upon the heads and backs of the larger
intruders, who become so annoyed and tormented as willingly
to make a precipitate retreat. He pursues his foes sometimes
for a mile ; and at length, assured of conquest, he returns to his
‘prominent watch-ground, again quivering his wings in gratula-
tion, and rapidly uttering his shrill and triumphant notes. He
is therefore the friend of the farmer, as the scourge of the pil-
ferers and plunderers of his crop and barn-yard. But that he
might not be perfectly harmless, he has sometimes a propensity
for feeding on the valuable tenants of the bee-hive ; for these
he watches, and exultingly twitters at the prospect of success
as they wing their way engaged in busy employment ; his quick-
sighted eyes now follow them, until one, more suitable than the
rest, becomes his favorite mark. This selected victim is by
some farmers believed to be a drone rather than the stinging
neutral worker. The selective discernment of the eyes of
this bird has often amused me ; berries of different kinds, held
to my domestic Kingbird, however similar, were rejected
or snatched as they suited his instinct, with the nicest
discrimination.
As the young acquire strength for their distant journey, they
may be’ seen in August and September assembling together in
almost silent, greedy, and watchful parties of a dozen or more,
feeding on various berries, particularly those of the sassafras
and cornel, from whence they sometimes drive away smaller
birds, and likewise spar and chase each other as the supply
diminishes. Indeed, my domestic allowed no other bird to
KINGBIRD. 409
live in peace near him when feeding on similar food; and
though lame of a wing, he often watched his opportunity for
reprisal and revenge, and became so jealous that, instead of
being amused by companions, sometimes he caught hold of
them with his bill, and seemed inclined to destroy them for
invading his usurped privileges. In September the Kingbird
begins to leave the United States and proceeds to pass the
winter in tropical America. During the period of migration
southward, Audubon remarks that they fly and sail through the
air with great ease at a considerable elevation; and they thus
continue their silent retreat throughout the night until about
the first of October, when they are no longer to be seen
within the limits of the Middle States.
We now know that the Kingbird ranges throughout North
America from the tropics to the lower fur countries, though
not common west of the Rockies.
All lovers of birds and of justice will thank Mrs. Olive Thorne
Miller for her noble defence of this chivalrous and much maligned
bird, which appeared in the “ Atlantic Monthly ” for August, 1890.
The systematists have dubbed him “tyrant of the tyrants,” but
his friends know him to be a true knight, the real “king of the
air.” Mrs. Miller credits the Kingbird with “a soft and very
pleasing song,” which she has heard “only in the very early
morning.”
Note. — The ARKANSAS KINGBIRD (7. verticalis) differs from
tyrannus in being light ashy gray on head, neck, and breast, and
other lower parts yellow. In size the two birds are much the same,
some examples of the Western form being slightly larger.
Its habitat is the Western plains; but specimens have been
taken in the Middle and Northern States.
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER.
CONTOPUS BOREALIS.
Cuar. Above, dull olive brown, darker on head, paler on rump; tail
dusky, tipped with gray ; wings dusky, with gray band; lower parts yel-
lowish white ; flanks pale olive. Length 74 to 8 inches.
Vest. Saddled on horizontal limb of tall tree; of twigs and grass lined
with grass and moss.
fggs. 3-5; creamy white, spotted near larger end with reddish brown
and pale purple; 0.85 X 0.65.
This remarkable species, which appertains to the group of
Pewees, was obtained in the woods of Mount Auburn, in this
vicinity, by Mr. John Bethune, of Cambridge, on the 7th of
June, 1830. This, and a second specimen acquired soon
afterwards, were females on the point of incubation. A third
individual of the same sex was killed on the 21st of June,
1831. They were all of them fat, and had their stomachs
filled with torn fragments of wild bees, wasps, and other sim-
ilar insects. I have watched the motions of two other living
individuals who appeared tyrannical and quarrelsome even with
each other; the attack was always accompanied with a whir-
ring, querulous twitter. Their dispute was apparently, like
that of savages, about the rights of their respective hunting-
grounds. One of the birds, the female, whom I usually saw
alone, was uncommonly sedentary. ‘The territory she seemed
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. 4II
determined to claim was circumscribed by the tops of a cluster
of tall Virginia junipers or red cedars, and an adjoining elm
and decayed cherry-tree. From this sovereign station, in the
solitude of a barren and sandy piece of forest adjoining Mount
Auburn, she kept a sharp lookout for passing insects, and pur-
sued them with great vigor and success as soon as they ap-
peared, sometimes chasing them to the ground, and generally
resuming her perch with an additional mouthful, which she
swallowed at leisure. On descending to her station she occa-
sionally quivered her wings and tail, erected her blowsy cap,
and kept up a whistling, oft-repeated, whining call of 'px% ’pu,
then varied to ’su# Zip, and ’f7p pi, also at times Dip "Pip "pil
‘Dip "pip ‘pip, "pit ’pit pip, or tit, 'tét 'ti, and ’té ’Hi. This
shrill, pensive, and quick whistle sometimes dropped almost to
a whisper or merely ’Z%. The tone was in fact much like that
of the "phi "phit phi of the Fish Hawk. The male, however,
besides this note, at long intervals had a call of ’eh’phédee or
*h’ phebéd, almost exactly in the tone of the circular tin whistle,
or bird-call, being loud, shrill, and guttural at the commence-
ment. The nest of this pair I at length discovered in the
horizontal branch of a tall red cedar 40 or 50 feet from the
ground. It was formed much in the manner of the Kingbird,
externally made of interlaced dead twigs of the cedar, inter-
nally of the wiry stolons of the common cinquefoil, dry grass,
and some fragments of branching Lichen or Usnea. It con-
tained 3 young and had probably 4 eggs. The eggs had been
hatched about the zoth of June, so that the pair had arrived in
this vicinity about the close of May.
The young remained in the nest no less than 23 days, and
were fed from the first on beetles and perfect insects, which
appeared to have been wholly digested, without any regurgi-
tation. Towards the close of this protracted period the young
could fly with all the celerity of the parents; and they prob-
ably went to and from the nest repeatedly before abandoning
it. The male was at this time extremely watchful, and fre-
quently followed me from his usual residence, after my paying
him a visit, nearly half a mile. These birds, which I watched
412 FLYCATCHERS.
on several successive days, were no way timid, and allowed
me for some time previous to visiting their nest to investigate
them and the premises they had chosen, without showing any
sign of alarm or particular observation.
This bird appears to have been discovered in the fur coun-
tries about the same time as in the United States. According
to Dr. Richardson, the specimen, figured so spiritedly in the
“ Northern Zoology of Canada,”’ was shot on the banks of the
Saskatchewan as it was flying near the ground.
In 1832, about the middle of June, the same pair appar-
ently had again taken possession of a small juniper not more
than 300 yards from the tree they had occupied the preceding
year, about 14 or 15 feet up which they had fixed their thin
twiggy nest as in the preceding year. It contained 4 eggs, on
which the female had commenced sitting; these, except in
their superior size, were precisely similar with those of the
Wood Pewee, — yellowish-cream color, with dark-brown and
lavender-purple spots, rather thinly dispersed. Being unfortu-
nate enough to shake out the two eggs I intended to leave in
the nest, the pair had to commence their labors of preparing
for a progeny anew; and a few days after, a second nest was
made in another Virginian juniper at a very short distance
from the preceding. The present year, however, they did not
return to their accustomed retreat, and no individual was seen
in this vicinity. In all places it appears, in fact, a scarce and
widely dispersed species. Audubon has since observed this
bird in other parts of Massachusetts, Maine, the Magdalen
Islands, and the coast of Labrador. He has also seen it in
Georgia and in Texas. This species is a common inhabitant
of the dark fir-woods of the Columbia, where it arrives
towards the close of May. We again heard, at intervals, the
same curious call, like ‘ei-phebéa, and sometimes like the gut-
tural sound ’egh-phebeé, commencing with a sort of suppressed
chuck ; at other times the note varied into a lively and some-
times quick f’¢-detoway. This, no doubt, is the note attributed
by Wilson to the Wood Pewee. When approached, or when
calling, we heard the pu pu pu.
CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 413
The Olive-sided Flycatcher is a rare summer resident in the
southern portions of New England, but is quite common in Maine
and New Brunswick, and ranges north to about the soth parallel.
It winters south to the tropics.
CRESTED FLYCATCHER.
MYyIARCHUS CRINITUS.
CHAR. Upper parts olive, inclined to brown on the head; belly bright ,
yellow; throat and breast ashy gray; wings and tail dusky, marked with
rufous. Head crested. Length 8% to 9 inches.
Nest. Ina cavity of a tree; of twigs, grass-roots, feathers, and usually
a cast-off snake-skin.
£ggs. 4-6; light buffy brown, marked with lines of brown and purple;
0.85 X 0.65.
This species, nearly unknown in New England, arrives in
Pennsylvania early in May, and builds his nest in the deserted
holes of the Woodpecker or Bluebird. He also frequents the
orchard, and is equally fond of bees with the Kingbird. He
has no other note than a harsh squeak, which sounds like ’faip,
"paip, payup, paywip, with a strong accent on the first syl-
lable. He preys actively on insects, which he collects from
his stand, and, in short, has most of the manners and physi-
ognomy of the whole section or family to which he belongs.
The note of the male appears often delivered in anger and
impatience, and he defends: his retreat from the access of all
other birds with the tyrannic insolence characteristic of the
Kingbird.
Towards the end of summer these birds feed on berries of
various kinds, being particularly partial to pokeberries and
whortleberries, which for a time seem to constitute the prin-
cipal food of the young. They remain in Pennsylvania till about
the middle of September, when they retire to tropical America.
In July, 1831, I observed a pair in an orchard at Acton, in this
State (Massachusetts). They had reared a brood in the vicinity,
and still appeared very stationary on the premises ; their harsh
414 FLYCATCHERS.
payup, and sometimes a slender twittering, as they took the
perch, were heard almost from morn to night, and resembled
at first the chirp of a young Robin. They fed on the cater-
pillars or vermin of some kind which happened to infest the
apple-trees. I was told that they utter a different and more
musical note about sunrise ; but of this I cannot speak from my
own knowledge. They are unknown in the vicinity of the
sea-coast of Massachusetts. According to Audubon, they are
found on the upper Missouri during summer. Many also
pass the winter in the warmer parts of Florida. They also
breed in Texas.
This species is common in the Eastern States north to Connec-
ticut and northern Ohio and in southern Ontario. It is rare in
portions of Massachusetts, but examples have been observed in
Maine and New Brunswick. It breeds south to Florida, and
winters in the tropics.
Those who know the bird best say it has the courage of the
Kingbird, and a knack of quarrelling that is all its own.
GRAY KINGBIRD.
TYRANNUS DOMINICENSIS.
Cuar. Very similar to the Kingbird, but of paler color; the upper
parts, including the head, being ashy gray. Its size is somewhat larger, —
about an inch in length.
Nest. Ina tree; composed of twigs, lined with roots or moss.
£ggs. 3-4; white, tinged with pale buff or salmon pink and spotted
with brown and purple ; 1.00 X 0.75.
This fine tropical species was discovered by Audubon on
the Florida Keys, where it arrives about the first of April, and
spreads over the peninsula as far as Cape Florida. It is com-
mon in Cuba and several other of the West India islands.
Stragglers, however, appear to wander at times as far to the
north as South Carolina; a pair and their nest having been
found in a college yard, where they continued to return for
several years in succession, rearing two broods in a season.
Its whole demeanor so much resembles that of the common
PHBE, 415
Kingbird that but for its superior size and note it might be
mistaken for that species.
These birds flutter while flying, and sometimes during the
breeding season the pair, crossing each other’s path, rise in
spiral evolutions, loudly twittering as they ascend. When
interrupted, alarmed by pursuit, or in quest of insects, they
dart off with great velocity. If a large bird, as a Heron or
Crow, or indeed any intruder, pass near their station, they
immediately pursue it, and that often to a considerable dis-
tance. At the same time they appear careless of the approach
of man except when the nest is invaded, when they fly about
in great anger, snapping their bills and loudly chattering ; but
when relieved from their unwelcome visitors, they return to
their stand with notes of exultation.
Nuttall, following Audubon, named this species the Pipiry Fly-
catcher. It is abundant in the West Indies and occurs in parts of
Florida and along the coast to South Carolina. Examples have
been taken on Long Island, and at Lynn, in Massachusetts.
It winters in the tropics.
PHCEBE.
PEWEE. PEWIT.
SAYORNIS PHCEBE.
CuHaR. Upper parts dull olive brown, darker on head; under parts
whitish, changing to pale yellow on belly, and brownish on flanks; wings
and tail dusky, outer tail feathers and wing bar whitish; white ring
around the eyes; bill and feet black. Head with inconspicuous crest.
Length 6% to 7 inches.
Nest. Attached to the under-side of a bridge, or to a rock, or the side
of a cave; of twigs, roots, and moss, cemented with mud, lined with grass
and feathers.
Eggs. 4-5; white, sometimes speckled with pale brown; 0 80 X 0.55,
This familiar species inhabits the continent of North Amer-
fica from Canada and Labrador to Texas, retiring from the
Northern and Middle States at the approach of winter, How
416 FLYCATCHERS.
far they proceed to the South at this season is not satisfac-
torily ascertained ; a few, no doubt, winter in the milder parts
of the Union, as Wilson saw them in February in the swamps
of North and South Carolina, where they were feeding on
smilax berries, and occasionally even giving their well-known
notes ; but in the winter and early spring of 1830, while em-
ployed in an extensive pedestrian journey from South Carolina'
to Florida and Alabama, I never heard or met with an individ-
ual of the species. Audubon found them abundant in the
Floridas in winter.
These faithful messengers of spring return to Pennsylvania as
early as the first week in March, remain till October, and
sometimes nearly to the middle of November. In Massa-
chusetts they arrive about the beginning of April, and at first
chiefly frequent the woods.
Their favorite resort is near streams, ponds, or stagnant
waters, about bridges, caves, and barns, where they choose to
breed ; and, in short, wherever there is a good prospect for
obtaining their insect food. Near such places our little hunter
sits on the roof of some out-building, on a stake of the fence,
or a projecting branch, calling out at short intervals and ina
rapid manner Phebe. phedé, and at times in a more plaintive
tone phee-be-ee. This quaint and querulous note, occasionally
approaching to a warble, sometimes also sounds like pewait
pewait, and then pé-wai-ce, also phebe phé-beé-ce, twice alter-
nated ; the latter phrase somewhat soft and twittering. In the
spring this not unpleasing guttural warble is kept up for hours
together until late in the morning, and though not loud, may
be heard to a considerable distance. From a roof I have
heard these notes full half a mile across the water of a small
lake ; and this cheerful, though monotonous, ditty is only in-
terrupted for a few seconds as the performer darts and sweeps
after his retreating prey of flies, frequently flirting and quiver-
ing his tail and elevating his feathery cap, while sharply
watching the motions of his fickle game.
In the Middle States he begins to construct his nest about
the latter end of March, in Massachusetts not before the first
PH@BE. 417
week in April. The nest is situated under a bridge, in a cave,
the side of a well 5 or 6 feet down, under a shed, or in the
shelter of the low eaves of a cottage, and even in an empty
kitchen ; sometirnes it rests on a beam, though it is frequently
attached to the side of a piece of roofing timber in the manner
of the Swallow.
According to the touching relation of Wilson, this humble
and inoffensive bird forms conjugal attachments which prob-
ably continue through life; for, like the faithful Bluebirds,
a pair continued for several years to frequent and build in a
romantic cave in the forest which made part of the estate of
the venerable naturalist, William Bartram. Here our unfortu-
nate birds had again taken up their welcome lease for the
summer, again chanted forth their simple lay of affection, and
cheered my aged friend with the certain news of spring ; when
unexpectedly a party of idle boys, one fatal Saturday, de-
stroyed with the gun the parents of this old and peaceful
settlement ; and from that time forward no other pair were
ever seen around this once happy, now desolate spot.
Their attachment to particular places is indeed remarkable.
About the middle of April, 1831, at the Fresh Pond Hotel, in
this vicinity, three different nests were begun in the public
boat-house, which may be here considered almost as a thorough-
fare. Only one nest, however, was completed ; and we could
not help admiring the courage and devotedness with which
the parents fed their young, and took their alternate station
by the side of the nest, undaunted in our presence, only now
and then uttering a ’4s4zp when observed too narrowly. Some
ruffian at length tore down the nest and carried off the brood ;
but our Pewit immediately commenced a new fabric, laid 5
additional eggs in the same place with the first, and, in haste
to finish her habitation, lined it with the silvery shreds of a
Manilla rope which she discovered in the contiguous loft
over the boat-house. For several previous seasons the parents
had taken up their abode in this vicinity, and seemed unwil-
ling to remove from the neighborhood they had once chosen,
in spite of the most untoward circumstances. In two other
VOL. I. — 27
418 FLYCATCHERS.
instances I have known a pair, when the nest and eggs were
taken by some mischievous boys, commence a new nest in
the same place, and laying a smaller number of eggs, raised
a second brood. In one of those nests, under a bridge, the
insidious Cowbird had also dropped her parasitic egg.
Towards the time of their departure for the South, which is
about the middle of October, they are silent, and previously
utter their notes more seldom, as if mourning the decay of
Nature, and anticipating the approaching famine which now
urges their migration. In the Middle States they raise two
broods in the season; but in Massachusetts the Pewit rarely
raises more than a single brood, unless, as in the instance re-
lated, they have had the misfortune tc lose the first hatch.
The young, dispersed through the woods in small numbers,
may now and then be heard to the close of September exer-
cising their feeble voices in a guttural p#ébé. But the old birds
are almost wholly silent, or but little heard, as they flit timidly
through the woods, when once released from the cares of rear-
ing their infant brood ; so that here the Phoebe’s note is almost
a concomitant of spring and the mildest opening of summer, —
it is, indeed, much more vigorous in April and May than at
any succeeding period.
The Pheebe is an uncommon bird in the Maritime Provinces,
byt more common in the vicinity of Montreal and westward to
Western Ontario, and in all the Eastern States. It breeds from
Manitoba and Newfoundland to South Carolina, and winters in the
Gulf States as well as in Cuba and Mexico.
Nore. — Mr. G. S. Miller, Jr., captured on Cape Cod, in Sep-
tember, 1889, an example of Say’s PH@BE (Sayornis saya), the
first that has been taken to the eastward of the Great Plains.
WOOD PEWEE. 419
WOOD PEWEE.
CONTOPUS VIRENS.
CHar. Upper parts olive brown, darker on the head; lower parts
whitish, with dull yellow tinge; sides pale olive, extending across the
breast ; tail and wings dusky; wings with bars of whitish. Head with
inconspicuous crest. Length 6 to 6%4 inches.
Vest. On branch of a tree; of twigs and grass, covered exteriorly
with lichens and lined with moss.
Eggs. 3-4; creamy white with spots of brown and lilac wreathed
about the larger end; 0.75 X 0.55.
This species has much the appearance of the common Pewit
Flycatcher, but differs essentially by its note and habits. The
Wood Pewee appears generally to winter south of the United
States, and scarcely arrives in Pennsylvania or New England
before the middle of May; its migrations, in all probability,
extend to Canada. According to Audubon, many of them
winter in the southern extremity of the United States, and Mr.
Townsend and myself frequently saw them in the dark forests
of the Oregon. It is a solitary species, frequenting gloomy
forests and dark orchards, where, watching on some dead and
projecting branch for its insect prey, it sweeps at intervals
amidst the shade, and the occasional snapping of its bill an-
nounces the success of its flight. It then again alights as
before, sometimes uttering a sort of gratulatory low twitter,
accompanied by a quivering of the wings and tail; and in the
lapse of its employment, in a feeble, sighing tone, often cries
pee-wée or pee-é, and sometimes f2-wee pewittitee or pewtttee
pe-wee. This note is continued often till quite late in the
evening, at which time many of the insect brood and moths
are abundant. Most of these birds, indeed, appear capable of
collecting their food by the feeblest light, the only season when
some of their favorite prey ever stir abroad. This species also
appears particularly fond of small wild bees. From June to
September, its solitary notes are heard in the field and forest ;
after which time, preparing for its departure, and intently glean-
ing food in every situation, it sometimes approaches the city,
420 FLYCATCHERS.
often examines the courts and gardens, at the same time feed-
ing and training its young to the habits of their subsistence,
and about the first week in October it retires south to pass the
winter.
The Pewee is a very expert and cautious flycatcher ; and as
if aware of the drowsiness of insects in the absence of the sun’s
broad light, he is on the alert at day-dawn after his prey. At
this early period, and often in the dusk of evening, for the most
part of summer till the middle of August, he serenades the
neighborhood of his mansion from 3 to 4 or 5 o’clock in the
morning, with an almost uninterrupted chanting ditty, sweet,
but monotonous, like fé-ay pay-wée, pe-ay pay-wée, then ina
little higher and less sing-song tone, his usual and more serious
pee-G-wee. In dark and damp mornings this curious warble is
sometimes continued nearly to 8 o’clock; and the effect of
this tender, lulling lay in the gray dawn, before the awakening
of other birds, and their mingling chorus, is singular and pecu-
liarly pleasing. It is a gratulatory feeling of unmixed and
placid delight, concomitant with the mild reviving light of the
opening day and the perfect joy of the mated male, satisfied in
every reasonable desire, —in short, a hymn of praise to the
benevolent Author and Supporter of existence !
Towards the period of departure they become wholly silent ;
and driven to extremity, they may now be seen watching the
stagnant pools and ponds, dipping occasionally into the still
surface after their drowsy and languid prey. Like the King-
bird, this species at times displays a tyrannical disposition ; and
I have observed one to chase a harmless Sparrow to the ground
for safety, who merely by inadvertence happened to approach
the station he had temporarily chosen for collecting his insect
game.
The notes of peto-way peto-way pee-way are never uttered
by this species; but on the rath of February, 1830, in Ala-
bama, I heard, at that season, a bird uttering this note, and
several times afterwards I saw a rather large and dark Fly-
catcher in the pine woods, to which I attributed this call, and
which must be a distinct species, as its notes bear no resem-
LEAST FLYCATCHER. 421
blance to those of the Wood Pewee, — at this season probably
in South America.
The Pewee, I believe, raises here but a single brood, which
are not abroad before the middle of July. The nest is ex-
tremely neat and curious, almost universally saddled upon an
old moss-grown and decayed limb in an horizontal position,
and is so remarkably shallow, and incorporated upon the
branch, as to be very easily overlooked. The body of the
fabric consists of wiry grass or root-fibres, often blended with
small branching lichens, held together with cobwebs and cat-
erpillar’s silk, moistened with saliva; externally it is so coated
over with bluish crustaceous lichens as to be hardly discernible
from the moss upon the tree. It is lined with finer root-fibres
or slender grass stalks. Some nests are, however, scarcely
lined at all, being so thin as readily to admit the light through
them, and are often very lousy, with a species of a@carus which
probably infests the old birds.
The plaintive and almost pathetic note of the Wood Pewee is a
familiar sound amid the orchards of New Brunswick, and the bird
is of common occurrence through Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba,
It breeds south to Florida, and winters southward to Mexico and
Guatemala.
LEAST FLYCATCHER.
CHEBEC.
EMPIDONAX MINIMUS.
CHAR. Upper parts olive; lower parts white, tinged with yellow;
the breast washed with olive gray ; wings with two bars of grayish white.
Length 5 to 5% inches. f . 3
Nest. On fork of a tree; of twigs and grass, lined with grass or
feathers.
Eggs. 3-5; creamy white, usually unspotted ; 0.65 X 0.50.
This is one of our most common summer birds in this part
of New England, arriving from the South about the last week
in April, and leaving us to retire probably to tropical America
about the beginning of September or sometimes a little later.
It also extends its migrations to Labrador and the Oregon
422 FLYCATCHERS.
Territory, and seems most abundant in the Northern and
Eastern States. Though, like the preceding, these are solitary,
retiring birds, and fond of the shade of the forest, yet in this
vicinity their nests are numerous. On their first arrival, pre-
vious to pairing, they are engaged in constant quarrels about
their mates, and often molest other birds whom they happen to
see employed in pursuit of the same kind of food with them-
selves. Like the preceding species, they take their station on
a low branch to reconnoitre the passing insects on which they
feed, and from time to time make a circular sweep for their
prey. When seated, they utter very frequently a sharp, un-
pleasant squeak, somewhat resembling that of the Kingbird,
sounding like guedh, and sometimes ’¢sh’ah, or tsheah, tsheah,
and ¢shooé, with a guttural, snapping sound, succeeded by a
kind of querulous, low twitter uttered as they fly from tree to
tree, and chiefly at the instant of alighting. At other times
they have a recognizing, rather low call of ’whzt, ’whit, re-
peated at short intervals; again, in the warmest weather, I
have heard one of these Pewees call something like the whist-
ling of ’weet, ‘weet, "weet, ‘will. Occasionally, when fighting
or in flying, it also makes an echoing ¢shzvr. It possesses all
the habits of the Kingbird, catches bees, flies, and moths, ex-
hibits a variety of quivering motions, and defends its nest with
great courage against the approach of larger birds.
The nest of the Small Pewee is usually fixed in the slender,
upright forks of a young forest tree from 6 to 20 or 30 feet
from the ground. I have also found the nests on the horizon-
tal branch of an apple-tree or forest tree. In most instances
in the woods a gloomy, solitary situation is chosen. The mate-
rials of this fabric vary according to circumstances; for the
first brood a very soft and warm nest is usually made of dry
grass, willow, and cud-weed down in large quantities, partly
felted or matted together externally with the saliva of the
bird. Common tow, if convenient, is also occasionally em-
ployed when the nest is in an apple-tree, for which some neigh-
boring graft is probably unravelled. The interior is usually
formed of slender, narrow strips of bark, bass, and dry grass;
LEAST FLYCATCHER. 423
the lining is commonly of fine root-fibres, slender tops of bent
grass, and at times a few hairs and feathers. Occasionally the
principal external material consists of strips or strings of silk-
weed lint and the bark of the common virgin’s bower. The
nest is extremely neat and uniform, resembling a complete
hemisphere. As nests may be found late in July, it is
probable they have a second brood in the course of the
season. They are extremely attached to their offspring, and
keep up an incessant, almost choking sheah tshedh when
any person approaches the tree where they have their
brood. The young and old now move about in company,
and at this time feed on various kinds of berries, partic-
ularly those of the cornel and whortleberry. At length the
young are seen to select each other’s society, and rove about
without any fixed resort, previous to their gradual departure.
A pair, probably of the same brood, still lingered here in Sep-
tember, and like the little Parrots called Inseparable, appeared
fondly to cherish each other’s company. It was toward even-
ing when I saw them, and at first they appeared inclined to
roost in the shady willow-tree in which they had alighted. They
nestled close to each other with looks and notes of tenderness
and affection ; wherever one went, the other instantly followed,
and the same branch contained the same contented pair.
Nuttall followed Wilson in the mistake of supposing this species
and acadicus to be identical, and in his account has*mingled the
biographies of the two. The latter is more southern in its distri-
bution, the center of its breeding area being in the Middle States.
“ Chebec” is a;common summer resident from Pennsylvania to the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, and westward to the prairies. It winters
south to Panama,
TRAILL’S FLYCATCHER.
EMPIDONAX TRAILLII ALNORUM.
Cuar. Upper parts olive brown, darker on the head, lighter on the
rump ; under parts whitish, the sides tinged with pale olive, which ex-
tends nearly across the breast, the belly tinged with yellow; wings dusky,
with yellowish white bars. Length 5% to 6 inches.
Vest. Onan upright fork in a clump of alders or low deciduous tree,
1 to 8 feet from the ground; composed of grass roots or hempen fibre,
lined usually with fine grass, sometimes with horse-hair or thistle-down.
Eggs. 3-4; creamy white or buff, boldly spotted with light and dark
brown chiefly about the larger end; 0.70 X 0.53.
This species, so nearly allied to the last, was first distin-
guished by Audubon. Its note resembles the syllable ’whee?,
‘wheet, articulated clearly while in the act of flying. It was
first observed on the wooded skirts of the prairies along the
banks of the Arkansas. Mr. Townsend and myself observed it
in various places in the skirts of the forests of the Columbia
and Wahlamet during the summer, when it was breeding, but
we could not discover the nest. Its motions are thus de-
scribed by Audubon: “When leaving the top branches of a
low tree this bird takes long flights, skimming in zig-zag lines,
passing close over the tops of the tall grasses, snapping at and
seizing different species of winged insects, and returning to the
same trees to alight.”
Traill’s Flycatcher is chiefly a spring and autumn migrant
through southern New England, though a few pairs breed as far
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER. 425
south as Long Island. It is a common summer resident of Maine
and of the northern part of Vermont and New Hampshire, and
is not uncommon on the Berkshire hills in Massachusetts. It is
common in New Brunswick. West of this region it breeds farther
to the southward, being common in the middle of Ohio and in
southern Illinois and Missouri. Mr. MclIlwraith considers it un-
common in Ontario, and Mr. Thompson reports it common in
Manitoba. It winters in Central America.
There has been considerable discussion over the breeding habits
of this species, caused by the difference in habits of the Western
birds from those which breed near the Atlantic. Here the favorite
site is a clump of alders near a running stream, and the nest is
placed within a foot or two of the ground; while in the West a
small tree is generally selected, — sometimes an oak,—and the
nest is placed as high as ten feet. The nest, in the West, is not so
compactly or neatly made, and the materials are coarser. The note
of this bird — for while the Flycatchers are not classed with the
Oscines, or Singing-Birds, they add not a little to our forest melo-
dies —is peculiar, though strictly of the family type. It sounds
something like 4e-wzvk delivered with a rising inflection and the
accent on the final sound, which is prolonged, — quite a different
note from the abrupt chebec of minimus. I have never heard the
song uttered on the wing; but when the bird is perching, the head
is tossed back, and the note is fawzg out with a decided emphasis
of manner as well as of voice.
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER.
EMPIDONAX VIRESCENS.
CHar. Upper parts olive, slightly darker on crown; under parts
whitish, the sides tinged with pale olive, which reaches almost across the
breast; belly tinged with pale yellow; wings and tail dusky; wing-bars
buffy. Length 51% to 6 inches.
Nest. Ina tree, suspended on fork of twigs at the extremity of a low
limb; rather loosely made of moss or grasses and shreds of bark bound
with spider’s webbing.
£ggs. 2-4; buff or creamy white, spotted, chiefly about the larger
end, with reddish brown; 0.75 X 0.55.
The older writers had rather confused ideas regarding these
small Flycatchers, and Nuttall supposed he was writing of the
present species, when the bird he had in mind was mnizmus,
426 FLYCATCHERS.
The Acadian Flycatcher belongs to the Middle States rather
than to New England, and has been taken but once north of the
Connecticut valley. It is abundant in Ohio and Illinois, but has
not been observed in Ontario. Mr. Thompson reports it as com-
mon in Manitoba. It breeds south to Florida, and winters in
Central America.
I have not met with this species in the field, but those who have
been so fortunate describe it as a shy bird, seeking the low, moist
thicket and shaded groves rather than the open pastures. Dr.
Coues thinks the nest “may be compared to a light hammock
swung between forks.” It is shallow and saucer-shaped, and so
loosely made that the eggs may be seen from below. Dr. Wheaton
states that so much loose grass is left on the outside of the nest
“that it looks like a tuft of hay caught by the limb from a load
driven under it.”
Mr, Chapman tells us that the most common call of this bird is :
“a single spee or feet repeated at short intervals, and accompanied
by a rapid twitching of the tail. A more peculiar note is a louder
pee-e-yuk. The bird seems to articulate this note with difficulty,
with bill pointing upward and wings trembling, like a fledgling
begging for food.”
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER.
EMPIDONAX FLAVIVENTRIS.
Cuar. Upper parts dull olive, darker on the crown; under parts
bright yellow, shaded with olive on the breast; wing-bars pale yellow; a
yellow ring around the eye. Length 5% to 6 inches.
Vest. Amid moss-covered roots of upturned tree or mossy log; of
twigs, or vegetable fibre, or moss, lined with roots, or fine grass, or
moss.
Eggs. 4; pale buff, sparingly spotted, mostly about larger end, with
reddish brown; 0.70 X 0.50.
This species was discovered about 1843, and for many years —
as late as 1880 — was considered a rare bird. Even now compar-
atively few persons are familiar with it, though it occurs throughout
this Eastern Province. It is common in New England, breeding
in the northern portion, and occurs on the higher hills elsewhere.
I found it abundant in New Brunswick, and it has been traced
northward to the lower Hudson Bay region, Macoun reports it
common at Lake Mistissinj,
YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER. 427
Dr. Wheaton considered it a common migrant through Ohio,
tut observers in Ontario have met with it so seldom as to think
at rare, though Ridgway says the bird is common in Illinois, and
‘Thompson found it in Manitoba.
The notes of this species have caused much discussion, — some
writers claiming for it an individuality, and others insisting that it
utters nothing different from the notes of ¢vaz@/z7 or minimus. The
kil-lic of flaviventris seems, to my ear, quite different from the
ke-wink of Traill’s, which is rather sibilant, and is delivered
with a rising inflection, — and differs also from the che-bec of the
Least Flycatcher. While the latter delivers the last two notes
abruptly and makes more or less pause after each couplet, the
Yellow-bellied whistles four notes, £2/-dic kzl-dic, with but a short
pause — a mere vest — between each pair, and delivers the notes
with a trifle less abruptness. Dr. Dwight thinks the song “is more
suggestive of a sneeze on the bird’s part, than of any other sound
with which it may be compared.”
Other notes of the present species resemble fea and fe-we-yea.
These are heard when a pair are in close companionship. They
are soft, sweet, cooing-notes, delivered in a plaintive tone that
suggests the tender pathos of the Pewee’s.
Note. — The FoRK-TAILED FLYCATCHER (Milvulus tyran-
nus), a bird of Central and South America, has occasionally
wandered north, and been taken in Mississippi, Kentucky, and
New Jersey.
Also a few examples of the SCIsSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
(Milvulus forficatus), which rarely appears north or east of
Texas, have been seen in Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut,
Ontario, and Manitoba, and one wandered to the shores of
Hudson Bay.
CAROLINA PAROQUET.
CAROLINA PARROT. PARAKEET.
CONURUS CAROLINENSIS.
Cuar. Head and neck yellow; forehead and sides of head orange
red; body and tail green, the belly tinged with yellow; wings green and
yellow, the edges tinged with orange red. In immature specimens the
yellow of head and neck is replaced by green. Length about 13 inches.
Vest. In dense woods or cypress swamp; placed on a fork near the
end of a branch or in a hole ina tree. When on a branch it is made of
cypress twigs loosely woven, and a nest in a hole is usually lined with
cypress twigs. When abundant the birds generally build in large colonies.
£ggs. 2-5 (?); greenish white or creamy; 1.40 X 1.05.
Of more than 200 species now known to belong to this
remarkable and brilliant genus, the present is the only one
found inhabiting the United States; it is also restricted to the
warmer parts, rarely venturing beyond the State of Virginia.
West of the Alleghanies, however, circumstances induce these
birds commonly to visit much higher latitudes; sa that, fol-
CAROLINA PAROQUET. 429
lowing the great valley of the Mississippi, they are seen to
frequent the banks of the Illinois, and occasionally to approach
the southern shores of Lake Michigan. Straggling parties
even have sometimes been seen in the valley of the Juniata in
Pennsylvania, and a flock, to the great surprise of the Dutch
inhabitants of Albany, are said to have appeared in that vicin-
ity. They constantly inhabit and breed in the Southern States,
and are so far hardy as to make their appearance, commonly
in the depth of winter, along the woody banks of the Ohio,
the interior of Alabama, the banks of the Mississippi and
Missouri around St. Louis, and other places, when nearly all
other birds have migrated before the storms of the season.
The Carolina Parrakeets in all their movements, which are
uniformly gregarious, show a peculiar predilection for the allu-
vial, rich, and dark forests bordering the principal rivers and
larger streams, in which the towering cypress and gigantic
sycamore spread their vast summits, or stretch their innumer-
able arms over a wide waste of moving or stagnant waters.
From these, the beech, and the hack-berry, they derive an
important supply of food. The flocks, moving in the manner
of wild Pigeons, dart in swift and airy phalanx through the
green boughs of the forest ; screaming in a general concert, they
wheel in wide and descending circles round the tall button-
wood, and all alight at the same instant, their green vesture,
like the fairy mantle, rendering them nearly invisible beneath
the shady branches, where they sit perhaps arranging their
plumage and shuffling side by side, seeming to caress and
scratch each other’s heads with all the fondness and unvarying
friendship of affectionate Doves. If the gun thin their ranks
they hover over the screaming, wounded, or dying, and return-
ing and flying around the place where they miss their compan-
ions, in their sympathy seem to lose all idea of impending
danger. When more fortunate in their excursions, they next
proceed to gratify the calls of hunger, and descend to the
banks of the river or the neighboring fields in quest of the
inviting kernels of the cockle-burr, and probably of the bitter-
weed, which they extract from their husks with great dexterity.
430 PARROTS.
In the depth of winter, when other resources begin to fail,
they, in common with the Yellow Bird and some other
Finches, assemble among the tall sycamores, and hanging
from the extreme twigs in the most airy and graceful postures,
scatter around them a cloud of down from the pendant balls
in quest of the seeds, which now afford them an ample repast.
With that peculiar caprice, or perhaps appetite, which char-
acterizes them, they are also observed to frequent the saline
springs or 4cks to gratify their uncommon taste for salt. Out
of mere wantonness they often frequent the orchards, and
appear delighted with the fruitless frolic of plucking apples
from the trees and strewing them on the ground untasted.
So common is this practice among them in Arkansas Territory
that no apples are ever suffered to ripen. They are also fond
of some sorts of berries, and particularly of mulberries, which
they eat piecemeal in their usual manner as they hold them by
the foot. According to Audubon, they likewise attack the
outstanding stacks of grain in flocks, committing great waste ;
and on these occasions, as well as the former, they are so
bold or incautious as readily to become the prey of the sports-
man in great numbers. Peculiarity of food appears wholly to
influence the visits and residence of this bird, and in plain,
champaign, or mountainous countries they are wholly strangers,
though common along the banks of all the intermediate
watercourses and lagoons.
Of their manners at the interesting period of propagation
and incubation we are not yet satisfactorily informed. They
nest in hollow trees and take little if any pains to provide more
than a simple hollow in which to lay their eggs, like the Wood-
peckers. They are at all times particularly attached to the
large sycamores, in the hollow trunks of which they roost in
close community, and enter at the same aperture into which
they climb. They are said to cling close to the sides of the
tree, holding fast by the claws and bill; and into these hollows
they often retire during the day, either in very warm or incle-
ment weather, to sleep or pass away the time in indolent and
social security, like the /twgicolas of the Peruvian caves, at
CAROLINA PAROQUET. 431
length only hastily aroused to forage at the calls of hunger.
Indeed, from the swiftness and celerity of their aérial move-
ments, darting through the gleaming sunshine like so many
sylvan cherubs decked in green and gold, it is obvious that
their actions as well as their manners are not calculated for
any long endurance ; and shy and retiring from all society but
that to which they are inseparably wedded, they rove abroad
with incessant activity until their wants are gratified, when, hid
from sight, they again relapse into that indolence which seems
a relief to their exertions.
The Carolina Parrot is readily tamed, and early shows an
attachment to those around who bestow any attention on its
wants ; it soon learns to recollect its name and to answer and
come when called on. It does not, however, evince much, if
any, Capacity for mimicking human speech or sounds of any
kind, and as a domestic is very peaceable and rather taciturn.
It is extremely fond of nuts and almonds, and may be sup-
ported on the vegetable food usually given to other species.
One which I saw at Tuscaloosa, a week after being disabled in
the wing, seemed perfectly reconciled to its domestic condi-
tion; and as the weather was rather cold, it remained the
greater part of the time in the house, climbing up the sides of
the wire fender to enjoy the warmth of the fire. I was in-
formed that when first caught it scaled the side of the room
at night, and roosted in a hanging posture by the bill and
claws ; but finding the labor difficult and fruitless, having no
companion near which to nestle, it soon submitted to pass the
night on the back of a chair.
I fear that the story of this gorgeously apparalled bird is nearly
finished. It is not quite exterminated yet, but of the large flocks
that were once to be seen all over the Southern States, only a mere
remnant can be found, and these are hidden amid the dense
swamps of central Florida and along the lower valley of the Mis-
sissippi. The farmers and fruit-growers were obliged to kill large
numbers, and later woman’s vanity and man’s greed have joined
hands to carry on the slaughter. From the combined attack of
such foes the remnant has but slight chance for escape.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO.
RAIN CROW.
CoccyzUS AMERICANUS.
CuHar. Upper mandible and tip of lower, black; rest of lower mandi-
ble and cutting edges of upper, yellow. Upper parts olive, with a slight
metallic gloss, tinged with ash toward the bill ; wings tinged with rufous;
middle feathers of tail like back, remainder black tipped with white ;
beneath, white or creamy. Length about 12 inches.
Vest. In a thicket by the side of a stream or on the border of a
swamp ; placed in a bush or lowtree. A flat, frail affair made of twigs
loosely laid, sometimes lined with bark strips or grass.
£ggs. 2-6 (usually 4); pale dull green or bluish green; 1.25 X 0.90.
The American Cuckoo arrives in the middle and colder
States of the Union about the close of April or the first week
of May, and proceeds to the north as far as Nova Scotia.
It probably winters in Mexico, and individuals pass no farther
than the forests of Louisiana. We also met with it in the
remote Territory of Oregon. Latham speaks of these birds
also as inhabitants of the tropical island of Jamaica. They
delight in the shady retirement of the forest, and are equally
common in tall thickets and orchards, where, like piratical
prowlers, they skulk and hide among the thickest boughs ; and
although, unlike the European Cuckoo, they are faithfully paired,
yet the pair are seldom seen in the same tree, but, shy and
watchful, endeavor to elude everything like close observation.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, 433
The male, however, frequently betrays his snug retreat by his
monotonous and guttural kow how kéw kdw, or koo hoo hoo
hoo, and ké kithk, ké kik, hoo koo koo kuk, hoo kb hoo, hoo
k6 koo, uttered rather low and plaintively, like the call of the
Dove. At other times the how how kow, and ’th th’ th ’th
"tak, or "kh *RA RA Rh hah how kow kow kow, beginning
slow, rises, and becomes so quick as almost to resemble the
grating of a watchman’s rattle, or else, commencing with this
call, terminates in the distant cry of kow kow kow. From this
note, supposed to be most clamorous at the approach of rain,
it has received in Virginia and other States the name of Rain-
Crow and Cow-Bird. At various seasons during the contin-
uance of warm weather the vigil Zow how kow kow of the
faithful male is uttered for hours at intervals throughout the
night. The same notes, but delivered in a slower and rather
tender strain, are given with great regularity likewise in the
day as long as the period of incubation continues. He often
steadfastly watches any approach to the nest, going to it occa-
sionally to assure himself that it is unmolested ; and at times
he may be observed darting even at the dormant bat, who
accidentally seeks repose beneath the shady leaves of some
contiguous tree, so that he is no less vigilant in seeking the
security of his own progeny than in piratically robbing the
nests of his neighbors. There are two or three other species
in Jamaica and other parts of tropical America possessing a
note very similar to that of our bird, which also frequently
approaches, when delivered in the plaintive mood, 400 koo and
koo koo kéo, the usual sound of the European Cuckoo. There
is a Mexican species (Cuculus ridibundus) which so simulates
laughter as to have excited the superstition of the natives,
by whom it is hated as a messenger of evil, its accidental
note of risibility being construed into an ominous delight in
misfortune.
The whole tribe of Cuckoos are in disgrace for the unnatural
conduct of the European and some other foreign species, who,
making no nests nor engaging in conjugal cares parasitically
deposit their eggs one by one in the nests of other small birds,
VOL. I. — 28
434 CUCKOOS.
to whom the care of rearing the vagrant foundling is uniformly
consigned.
But we may turn with satisfaction to the conjugal history of
our own subject, which, early in May or soon after its arrival,
may be at times observed obstinately engaged in the quarrels
of selective attachment. The dispute being settled, the nest is
commenced, and usually fixed either in the horizontal branches
of an apple-tree or in a thicket, a thorn-bush, crab, cedar, or
other small tree in some retired part of the woods. The fabric
is usually very slovenly and hastily put together, and possesses
scarcely any concavity for the reception of the young, who in
consequence often fall out of their uncomfortable cradle. The
nest is a mere flooring of twigs put together in a zig-zag form,
then blended with green weeds or leaves and withered blos-
soms of the maple, apple, or hickory catkins. A nest near the
Botanic Garden had, besides twigs, fragments of bass-mat, and
was very uncomfortably heated, and damp with the fermenta-
tion of the green tops of a species of maple introduced into it,
and the whole swarmed with thrush-lice or millipedes. The
eggs are of a bluish-green color, often pale, varying in the
shade and without spots ; they are somewhat round and rather
large. If they are handled before the commencement of incu-
bation, the owner generally forsakes the nest, but is very tena-
cious and affectionate towards her young, and sits so close as
almost to allow of being taken off by the hand. She then
frequently precipitates herself to the ground, fluttering, tumb-
ling, and feigning lameness, in the manner of many other affec-
tionate and artful birds, to draw the intruder away from the
premises of her brood. At such times the mother also adds to
the contrivance by uttering most uncouth and almost alarming
guttural sounds, like gua guah gwazh, as if choking, as she runs
along the ground. While the female is thus dutifully engaged
in sitting on her charge, the male takes his station at no great
distance, and gives alarm by his notes at the approach of any
intruder; and when the young are hatched, both unite in the
labor of providing them with food, which, like their own, con-_
sists chiefly of the hairy caterpillars, rejected by other birds,
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 434
that so commonly infest the apple-trees, and live in commu-
nities within a common silky web. They also devour the large
yellow cockchafer, Cavaéz, and other kinds of insects, as well
as various sorts of berries; but their worst propensity is the
parasitic habit of sucking,the eggs of other birds, thus spread-
ing ruin and dismay wherever they approach. They hatch
several broods in a season, and I have seen a nest with eggs in
it as late as the 28th of August ! — though they usually take their
departure in some part of the month of September. Consid-
ering the time they are engaged in breeding, they raise but few
young, appearing to be improvident nurses and bad _ nest-
makers, so that a considerable part of their progeny are either
never hatched, or perish soon after. These birds are greatly
attached to places where small birds resort, for the sake of
sucking their eggs; and I have found it difficult at times to
eject them, as when their nests are robbed, without much con-
cern they commence again in the same vicinity, but adding
caution to their operations in proportion to the persecution
they meet with. In this way, instead of their exposing the
nest in some low bush, I have with difficulty met with one at
least in a tall larch, more than fifty feet from the ground.
When wholly routed, the male kept up a mournful 2éw how
kow for several days, appearing now sensible by experience of
his own predatory practices.
Careless in providing comfort for her progeny, the Amer-
ican Cuckoo, like that of Europe, seems at times inclined to
throw the charge of her offspring on other birds. Approach-
ing to this habit, I have found an egg of the Cuckoo in the
nest of a Catbird; yet though the habitation was usurped, the
intruder probably intended to hatch her own eggs. At another
time, on the 15th of June, 1830, I saw a Robin’s nest with two
eggs in it indented and penetrated by the bill of a bird, and
the egg of a Cuckoo deposited in the same nest. Both
birds forsook the premises, so that the object of this forcible
entry was not ascertained,—though the mere appropriation
of the nest would seem to have been the intention of the
Cuckoo.
430 CUCKUUSs.
This Cuckoo occurs throughout this Faunal Province north to
New Brunswick, its breeding area extending south to Florida.
Nuttall has not mentioned one peculiar habit of this bird, — that of
laying eggs at such long intervals that young in very different stages
of maturity are frequently found in the same nest, as also young
birds and partially incubated eggs. The practice of laying its eggs
in the nests of other birds is seldom indulged in, — indeed, the
known instances are extremely rare.
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.
RAIN CROW.
CoccyzuS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS.
Cuar. Above, olive brown with a slight metallic gloss, tinged with
ash toward the bill; wings slightly tinged with rufous; tail similar to
back, outer feathers slightly tinged with gray, narrowly tipped with white.
Beneath, white, tinged on the throat with pale buff. Bill black. Length
about 12 inches.
Nest. On the edge of a swampy wood, usually in a retired situation
placed generally in a low bush; made of twigs, strips of bark, moss, and
catkins. Similar to the nest of the Yellow-billed, but somewhat firmer
and more artistic.
Eggs. 2-6 (usually 4); deep glaucous green; 1.10 X 0.80.
This species, so nearly related to the preceding, is also
equally common throughout the United States in summer, and
extends its migrations about as far as the line of Nova Scotia
or Newfoundland. This kind also exists in the island of St.
Domingo and Guiana, and the birds which visit us probably
retire to pass the winter in the nearest parts of tropical
America. ‘They arrive in Massachusetts later than the Yellow-
billed Cuckoo, and the first brood are hatched here about the
4th of June. In Georgia they begin to lay towards the close
of April. Their food, like that of the preceding species, also
consists of hairy caterpillars, beetles, and other insects, and
even minute shell-fish. They also, like many birds of other
orders, swallow gravel to assist digestion.
They usually retire into the woods to breed, being less
familiar than the former, choosing an evergreen bush or sap-
ling for the site of the nest, which is made of twigs pretty well
MANGROVE CUCKOO. 437
put together, but still little more than a concave flooring, and
lined with moss occasionally, and withered catkins of the hick-
ory. The female sits very close on the nest, admitting a near
approach before flying; the young, before acquiring their
feathers, are of a uniform bright grayish blue; at a little dis-
tance from the nest the male keeps up the usual rattling call
of kow kow kow kow, the note increasing in loudness and
quickness ; sometimes the call seems like 2h’ Rh’ kh’ kh’ ’kA
*kah, the notes growing louder, and running together like those
of the Yellow-winged Woodpecker. This species has also,
before rain, a peculiar call, in a raucous, guttural voice, like
orrattotoo or worrattotoo. It is less timorous than the Yellow-
billed kind ; and near the nest with young, I have observed
the parent composedly sit and plume itself for a considerable
time without showing any alarm at my presence. It is equally
addicted to the practice of sucking the eggs of other birds.
Indeed, one that I saw last summer, kept up for hours a con-
stant watch after the eggs of a Robin sitting in an apple-tree,
which, with her mate, kept up at intervals a running fight with
the Cuckoo for two days in succession.
This species is considered less abundant than the Yellow-billed,
but it has much the same general distribution; it goes, however,
farther north, having been taken in Newfoundland and Labrador,
and is common in Manitoba, where the Yellow-billed is not found.
The Black-billed is rather common in New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia and throughout New England.
MANGROVE CUCKOO.
Coccyzus MINOR.
CuHaR. Above, olive; head, ashy; below, buff with tawny tinge, paler
towards the chi.; middle tail-feather olive, rest black, broadly tipped
with white. Length 12 inches.
Vest. Ina low tree or bush; loosely made of twigs.
£ggs. 3-4; pale green or bluish green; 1.25 X 0.90.
The Mangrove Cuckoo is especially a West Indian bird, but is
a resident also of the Florida Keys, though not common there
A few examples have been met with in Louisiana.
438 WOODPECKERS.
Note. — MAYNARD’S Cuckoo (C. minor maynardt), a smaller
race, with paler lower parts, is found in the Bahama islands and in
Southern Florida.
Nore. — Nuttall made no mention in his book of the ANI (C7oto-
phaga ani), a South American bird that had been found in Loui-
siana and Florida. It was but a straggler within the borders of the
United States in his day, and is still considered a rare bird here.
A few years ago one was taken near Philadelphia by Mr. John
Krider.
FLICKER.
GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER. PIGEON WOODPECKER.
HIGH-HOLDER.
COLAPTES AURATUS.
CuHaR. Male: above, olive brown barred with black; crown and
sides of neck bluish gray; red crescent on nape; “ moustache” black ;
rump white; beneath, pale brown with pink and yellow tints, each feather
bearing a spot of black; breast with conspicuous black crescent; shafts
and under surface of wings and tail golden yellow. Female: similar, but
without the black “‘ moustache.” Length about 1234 inches.
Vest. In open woodland, pasture, or orchard; a cavity excavated in
dead trunk, and unlined save for the fine chips made by the boring.
£ggs. 6-10 (usually 2 or 7); snow white, with surface like highly
polished ivory; 1.10 X 0.90.
This beautiful and well-known bird breeds and inhabits
throughout North America, from Labrador and the remotest
wooded regions of the fur countries to Florida, being partially ©
migratory only from Canada and the Northern States, proceed-
ing to the South in October, and returning North in April.
From the great numbers seen in the Southern States in winter
it is evident that the major part migrate thither from the North
and West to pass the inclement season, which naturally de-
prives them of the means of acquiring their usual sustenance.
At this time also they feed much on winter berries, such as
those of the sumach, smilax, and mistletoe. In the Middle
States some of these birds find the means of support through
the most inclement months of the winter. In New England
they reappear about the beginning of April, soon after which
|. Rubv-Throated Hummingbird. — 4.. Whip-Poor -Will.
2. Barn Swallow. Si
3. Flicker 6. Red-Headed Woodpecker.
Gardinal
FLICKER. 439
they commence to pair and build ; for this purpose they often
make choice of the trunk of a decayed apple or forest tree, at
different heights from the ground. When an accidental cavity
is not conveniently found, confident in the formidable means
provided them by nature, with no other aid than the bill, they
have been known to make a winding burrow through a solid
oak for 15 inches in length. At this labor, for greater secu-
rity and privacy, they continue till late in the evening, and
may be heard dealing blows as loud and successive as if aided
by the tools of the carpenter. My friend Mr. Gambel ob-
served the present spring (1840) a burrow of this kind in
Cambridge, excavated out of the living trunk of a sassafras
about 15 feet from the ground. It was about 8 inches in
diameter and 18 inches deep, dug with a shelving inclination ;
and was continued at intervals for more than 4 weeks before
it was completed. The eggs, about 6, and pure white, are
deposited merely upon the fragments of wood which line the
natural or artificial cavity thus forming the nest. This cell,
before ‘the young are fledged, acquires a rank and disagreeable
smell; and on inserting the hand into it, the brood unite in
producing a hissing, like so many hidden snakes. They at
length escape from this fetid den in which they are hatched ;
and climbing sometimes into the higher branches of the tree,
are there fed until able to fly. At other times the young cling
to their protecting cell with great pertinacity, so that the
female will often call upon them for hours together (guedéh
gueah), trying every art to induce them to quit their cradle,
punishing them by fasting, till at length they are forced to
come out and answer to her incessant plaint. If not disturbed,
they will occasionally approach the farm-house; and I have
known a pair, like the Bluebirds, repair to the same hole in a
poplar-tree for several years in succession, merely cleaning out
the old bed for the reception of their eggs and young. They
incubate by turns, feeding each other while thus confined to
the nest, and are both likewise equally solicitous in feeding
and protecting their young ; the food on this occasion is raised
often from the throat, where it has undergone a preparatory
440 WOODPECKERS.
process for digestion. In the month of March, in Florida and
Alabama, I observed them already pairing, on which occasion
many petulant quarrels daily ensued from a host of rival sui-
tors, accompanied by their ordinary cackling and squealing.
One of their usual complaisant recognitions, often delivered on
a fine morning from the summit of some lofty dead limb, is
"wit awit’ wit’wit wit ’wit’wit weet and woit a woil, wott
woit woit wort, commencing loud, and slowly rising and quick-
ening till the tones run together into a noise almost like that
of a watchman’s rattle. They have also a sort of complaining
call, from which they have probably derived their name of
pee ut, pee ut; and at times a plaintive guéah guéah. Occa-
sionally they also utter in a squealing tone, when surprised, or
engaged in amusing rivalry with their fellows, we-cégh we-cigh
we-cigh we-cigh or weciip weciip weciip.
The food of these birds varies with the season. They are
at all times exceedingly fond of wood-lice, ants, and their
larvee ; and as the fruits become mature, they also add to their
ample fare common cherries, bird cherries, winter grapes, gum-
berries, the berries of the red-cedar, as well as of the sumach,
smilax, and other kinds. As the maize too ripens, the Flicker
pays frequent visits to the field; and the farmer, readily for-
getful of its past services, only remembers its present faults,
and closing its career with the gun, unthinkingly does to him-
self and the public an essential injury in saving a few unim-
portant ears of corn. In this part of New England it is known
by the name of Pigeon Woodpecker, from its general bulk and
appearance ; and, to the disgrace of our paltry fowlers, it is
in the autumn but too frequently seen exposed for sale in the
markets, though its flesh is neither fat nor delicate. It is
exceedingly to be regretted that ignorance and wantonness in
these particulars should be so productive of cruelty, devas-
tation, and injurious policy in regard to the animals with whose
amusing and useful company Nature has so wonderfully and
beneficently favored us.
IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER.
CAMPEPHILUS PRINCIPALIS.
CHAR. Glossy black; white stripe from bill down sides of neck ; scap-
ulars and secondaries white; bill ivory white. Male with crest of scarlet
and black ; female with crest of black: Length 21 inches.
Nest. Ina cypress-swamp or deep forest ; a cavity excavated in a live
tree.
Eggs. 4-6; white; 1.40 X 1.00.
This large and splendid bird is a native of Brazil, Mexico,
and the Southern States, being seldom seen to the north of
Virginia, and but rarely in that State. He is a constant
resident in the countries where he is found, breeding in
the rainy season, and the pair are believed to be united
for life. More vagrant, retiring, and independent than the
rest of his family, he is never found in the precincts of
442 WOODPECKERS.
cultivated tracts; the scene of his dominion is the lonely
forest, amidst trees of the greatest magnitude. His reiterated
trumpeting note, somewhat similar to the high tones of the
clarinet (pact patt pait pait), is heard soon after day, and until
a late morning hour, echoing loudly from the recesses of the
dark cypress-swamps, where he dwells in domestic security
without showing any impertinent or necessary desire to quit
his native solitary abodes. Upon the giant trunk and moss-
grown arms of this colossus of the forest, and amidst almost
inaccessible and ruinous piles of mouldering logs, the high,
rattling clarion and rapid strokes of this princely Woodpecker
are often the only sounds which vibrate through and commu-
nicate an air of life to these dismal wilds. His stridulous,
interrupted call, and loud, industrious blows may often be
heard for more than half a mile, and become audible at vari-
ous distances as the elevated mechanic raises or depresses his
voice, or as he flags or exerts himself in his laborious employ-
ment. His retiring habits, loud notes, and singular occupa-
tion, amidst scenes so savage yet majestic, afford withal a
peculiar scene of solemn grandeur on which the mind dwells
for a moment with sublime contemplation, convinced that
there is no scene in Nature devoid of harmonious consistence.
Nor is the performance of this industrious hermit less remark-
able than the peals of his sonorous voice or the loud choppings
of his powerful bill. He is soon surrounded with striking
monuments of his industry ; like a real carpenter (a nick-name
given him by the Spainards), he is seen surrounded with cart-
loads of chips and broad flakes of bark which rapidly accumu-
late round the roots of the tall pine and cypress where he has
been a few hours employed; the work of half a dozen men
felling trees for a whole morning would scarcely exceed the
pile he has produced in quest of a single breakfast upon those
insect larvee which have already, perhaps, succeeded in dead-
ening the tree preparatory to his repast. Many thousand
acres of pine-trees in the Southern States have been destroyed
in a single season by the insidious attacks of insects which in
the dormant state are not larger than a grain of rice. ‘It
IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 443
is in quest of these enemies of the most imposing part of the
vegetable creation that the industrious and indefatigable Wood-
pecker exercises his peculiar labor. In the sound and healthy
tree he finds nothing which serves him for food.
One of these birds, which Wilson wounded, survived with
him nearly three days, but was so savage and unconquerable as
to refuse all sustenance. When taken, he reiterated a Joud and
piteous complaint, almost exactly like the violent crying of a
young child ; and on being left alone in a tavern, in the course
of an hour he had nearly succeeded in making his way through
the side of the wooden house. He also cut the author severely
in several places while engaged in drawing his portrait, and
displayed, as long as he survived, the unconquerable spirit of a
genuine son of the forest. From his magnanimous courage
and ardent love of liberty, the head and bill are in high esteem
among the amulets of the Southern Indians.
The nest of this species is usually made in the living trunk
of the cypress-tree at a considerable height, both sexes alter-
nately engaging in the labor. The excavation is said to be
two or more feet in depth. The young are fledged and abroad
about the middle of June. It is usually known by the name of
“Large Log-cock.’”’ This species appears to live almost wholly
upon insects, and chiefly those that bore into the wood, which
never fail in the country he inhabits; nor is he ever known
to taste of Indian corn or any sort of grain or orchard
fruits, though he has a fondness for grapes and other kinds of
berries.
This species is now restricted to the Gulf States and lower
Mississippi valley.
PILEATED WOODPECKER.
LOG-COCK. BLACK WOODCOCK.
CEOPHLEUS PILEATUS.
Cuar. General color greenish black; wide stripe of white from the
bill down the sides of the neck; chin, throat, and part of wings white or
pale yellow. Male with scarlet crown, crest, and cheek patch. Female
with crest partly black and no scarlet on cheek. Length about 18
inches.
Nest. Ina deep forest or the seclusion of a swampy grove; excavated
in high trees, and lined only with fine chips.
£ggs. 4-6; snow white and glossy ; 1.25 X 1.00.
This large and common Woodpecker, considerably resem-
bling the preceding species, is not unfrequent in well-timbered
forests from Mexico and Oregon to the remote regions of
Canada, as far as the 63d degree of north latitude ; and in all
the intermediate region he resides, breeds, and passes most of
the year, retiring in a desultory manner only into the Southern
States for a few months in the most inclement season from the
North and West. In Pennsylvania, however, he is seen as
a resident more or less throughout the whole year; and Mr.
PILEATED WOODPECKER. 445
Hutchins met with him in the interior of Hudson Bay, near
Albany River, in the month of January. It is, however, suf-
ficiently singular, and shows perhaps the wild timidity of this
northern chief of his tribe, that though an inhabitant towards
the «savage and desolate sources of the Mississippi, he is un-
known at this time in all the maritime parts of the populous
and long-settled State of Massachusetts. In the western parts
of the State of New York he is sufficiently common in the
uncleared forests, which have been the perpetual residence of
his remotest ancestry. From the tall trees which cast their
giant arms over all the uncleared river lands, may often be
heard his loud, echoing, and incessant cackle as he flies
restlessly from tree to tree, presaging the approach of rainy
weather. These notes resemble ekerek rek rek rek rek rek rek
uttered in a loud cadence which gradually rises and falls. The
marks of his industry are also abundantly visible on the decay-
ing trees, which he probes and chisels with great dexterity,
stripping off wide flakes of loosened bark to come at the bur-
rowing insects which chiefly compose his food. In whatever
engaged, haste and wildness seem to govern all his motions,
and by dodging and flying from place to place as soon as
observed, he continues to escape every appearance of danger.
Even in the event of a fatal wound he still struggles with uncon-
querable resolution to maintain his grasp on the trunk to which
he trusts for safety to the very instant of death. When caught
by a disabling wound, he still holds his ground against a tree,
and strikes with bitterness the suspicious hand which attempts
to grasp him, and, resolute for his native liberty, rarely submits
to live in confinement. Without much foundation, he is charged.
at times with tasting maize. I have observed one occasionally
making a hearty repast on holly and smilax berries.
This species is being driven back by “civilization,” and is now
found only in the deeper forests. Mr. William Brewster reports
that a few pairs still linger in the northern part of Worcester
County, Mass.
446 WOODPECKERS.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.
MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS.
Cuar. Back, tail, and primaries blue black; head, neck, and breast
crimson; belly, ramp, and secondaries white. Length 9 to 9} inches.
Nest, In woodland, pasture, or orchard; usually a cavity in a decayed
tree.
Lggs. 4-6; glossy white; I.00 X 0.80.
This common and well-known species is met with along the
coast from Nova Scotia to the Gulf of Mexico, and inland in
the region of the Rocky Mountains and about the sources of
the Mississippi. In all the intermediate country, however
extensive, it probably resides and breeds. At the approach
of winter, or about the middle of October, these birds migrate
from the North and West, and consequently appear very
numerous in the Southern States at that season. Many of
them also probably pass into the adjoining provinces of Mex-
ico, and they reappear in Pennsylvania (according to Wilson)
about the first of May. According to Audubon, they effect
their migration in the night, flying high above the trees in a
straggling file, at which time they are heard to emit a sharp
and peculiar note, easily heard from the ground, although the
birds themselves are elevated beyond the sight. Like the
Log-cock, the present species is but rarely seen in the mari-
time parts of Massachusetts; this region is only occasionally
visited by solitary stragglers, yet in the western parts of the
State it is said to be as common as in the Middle States.
These birds live principally in old forests of tall trees, but are
much less shy than most of the genus, frequently visiting the
orchards in quest of ripe fruits, particularly cherries and juicy
pears and apples, with which they likewise occasionally feed
their young. ‘They also at times eat acorns, of which they are
said to lay up a store, and visit the maize-fields, being partial
to the corn while in its juicy or milky state. In consequence
of these dependent habits of subsistence, the Red-headed
Woodpecker is a very familiar species, and even sometimes
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 447
not only nests in the orchard which supplies him with suste-
nance, but ventures to rear his brood within the boundaries of
the most populous towns. In the latter end of summer its
reiterated tappings and cackling screams are frequently heard
from the shady forests which border the rivulets in more
secluded and less fertile tracts. It is also not uncommon to
observe them on the fence-rails and posts near the public
roads, flitting before the passenger with the familiarity of
Sparrows. In the Southern States, where the mildness of the
climate prevents the necessity of migration, this brilliant bird
seems half domestic. The ancient live-oak, his cradle and
residence, is cherished as a domicile; he creeps around its
ponderous weathered arms, views the passing scene with com-
placence, turns every insect visit to his advantage, and for
hours together placidly reconnoitres the surrounding fields. At
times he leaves his lofty citadel to examine the rails of the
fence or the boards of the adjoining barn; striking terror into
his lurking prey by the stridulous tappings of his bill, he
hearkens to their almost inaudible movements, and discovering
their retreat, dislodges them from their burrows by quickly
and dexterously chiselling out the decaying wood in which they
are hid, and transfixing them with his sharp and barbed
tongue. But his favorite and most productive resort is to the
adjoining fields of dead and girdled trees, amidst whose
bleaching trunks and crumbling branches he long continues to
find an ample repast of depredating and boring insects. When
the cravings of appetite are satisfied, our busy hunter occa.
sionally gives way to a playful or quarrelsome disposition, and
with shrill and lively vociferations not unlike those of the
neighboring tree-frog, he pursues in a graceful, curving flight his
companions or rivals round the bare limbs of some dead tree
to which they resort for combat or frolic.
About the middle of May, in Pennsylvania, they burrow out
or prepare their nests in the large limbs of trees, adding no
materials to the cavity which they smooth out for the purpose.
As with the Bluebird, the same tree continues to be employed
for several years in succession, and probably by the same undi-
448 WOODPECKERS.
vided pair. The eggs and young of this and many other birds
occasionally fall a prey to the attacks of the common black
snake. The young are easily tamed for a while, and when left
at large come for some time regularly to be fed, uttering a cry
to call attention. I have seen them feed on corn-meal paste,
a large piece of which the bird would carry off to a distance
and eat at leisure.
This species is common in Ontario and near Montreal, but is
only an accidental visitor to other portions of eastern Canada. It
is usually a rare bird to the eastward of the Hudson River, though
it is said to be rather common in Western Vermont, and in the
fall of 1881 it was quite common in other parts of New England.
The habit of this bird —in common with others of the family -—
to store nuts and grain for winter use, briefly alluded to by Nuttall,
has been confirmed frequently by recent observers. An interesting
paper on this subject by O. P. Hay appeared in the “ Auk” for
July, 1887.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.
MELANERPES CAROLINUS. ¥
Cuar. Above, black and white in narrow bands; tail black and
white ; beneath, pale buff; belly rosy red. Male, with crown and back
of head scarlet, which in the female is replaced by dull ash.
West. Usually in a secluded forest of tall trees; a cavity cut in a dead
trunk or limb.
Leggs. 4-6; white and glossy; 1.00 X 0.75.
This species inhabits the whole North American continent,
from the interior of Canada to Florida, and even the island of
Jamaica, in all of which countries it probably rears its young,
migrating only partially from the colder regions. This also,
like the preceding, is unknown in all the eastern parts of Mas-
sachusetts, and probably New Hampshire.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker dwells in the solitude of the
forest ; amidst the tall and decayed trees only he seeks his less
varied fare, and leads a life of roving wildness and independ-
ence, congenial with his attachment to freedom and liberty.
Sometimes, however, on the invasion of his native haunts by
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 449
the progress of agriculture, he may be seen prowling among
the dead and girdled trees which now afford him an augmented
source of support; and, as a chief of the soil, he sometimes
claims his native rights by collecting a small tithe from the
usurping field of maize. His loud and harsh call of '¢how
‘tshow ‘tshow ‘tshow, reiterated like the barking of a cur, may
often be heard, through the course of the day, to break the
silence of the wilderness in which his congenial tribe are
almost the only residents. On a fine spring morning I have
observed his desultory ascent up some dead and lofty pine,
tapping at intervals, and dodging from side to side, as he as-
cended in a spiral line; at length, having gained the towering
summit, while basking in the mild sunbeams, he surveys the
extensive landscape, and almost’ with the same reverberating
sound as his blows, at intervals he utters a loud and solitary
’currh in a tone as solemn as the tolling of the Campanero.
He thus hearkens, as it were, to the shrill echoes of his own
voice, and for an hour at a time seems alone employed in con-
templating, in cherished solitude and security, the beauties and
blessings of the rising day.
The nest, early in April, is usually made in some lofty
branch ; and in this labor both the sexes unite to dig out a cir-
cular cavity for the purpose, sometimes out of the solid wood,
but more commonly into a hollow limb. The young appear
towards the close of May or early in June, climbing out upon
the higher branches of the tree, where they are fed and reared
until able to fly, though in the mean time from their exposure
they often fall a prey to prowling Hawks. These birds usually
raise but one brood in the season, and may be considered, like
the rest of their insect-devouring fraternity, as useful scaven-
gers for the protection of the forest ; their attacks, as might be
reasonably expected, being always confined to decaying trees,
which alone afford the prey for which they probe.
This bird’s breeding area lies between Florida and Maryland
and northward through the interior to Southern Ontario, where it
is quite common.
VOL. I. — 29
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER.
SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS.
Cuar. Above, black and white, back tinged with yellow; crown and
chin scarlet, bordered by black; cheeks black, bordered by white or pale
yellow; breast black; belly pale yellow. In females the scarlet on chin
is replaced by white. Length 8% inches.
Nest. 1n woodland; a cavity in a dead trunk of large tree ; sometimes
excavated in a live tree.
Eggs. 4-7; white; 0.85 X 0.60.
This species, according to the season, extends over the
whole American continent, from the 53d degree to the tropics,
where it is seen in Cayenne. With us it is most common
in summer in the Northern and Middle States, and as far
north as Nova Scotia. At this season it is seldom seen beyond
the precincts of the forest, in which it selects the most solitary
recesses, leaving its favorite haunts only at the approach of
winter, and seeking, from necessity or caprice, at this roving
season the boundaries of the orchard. The habits of this bird
are but little different from those of the Hairy and Downy
Woodpeckers, with which it is often associated in their fora-
ging excursions. The nest, as usual, is made in the body of
some decayed orchard or forest tree, the circular entrance to
HAIRY WOODPECKER. 451
which is left only just sufficient for the passage of the parties.
The depth of the cavity is about 15 inches, and the eggs, 4 or
upwards, are white. The principal food of these birds is insects,
for they sometimes bore the trunks of the orchard trees.
The “sapsucking” habit of this species, denied by some of our
most eminent naturalists, has been established by Mr. Frank
Bolles, who published an interesting account of his observations in
“The Auk” for July, 1891.
For several days Mr. Bolles almost continuously watched a
number of these birds while they operated on trees in the vicinity
of his summer home at Chicarua, N. H. The birds drilled holes
in maple, oak, birch, and ash trees, and drank the sap as it dripped
from these holes. When one set of holes became “dry,” others
were drilled, eight to sixteen on each tree, the new holes being
made higher up than the old. Some of the birds spent about
nine tenths of the time in drinking the sap. Mr. Bolles placed
under the trees cups made of birch bark and filled with maple
syrup, which the birds drank freely. Later brandy was added,
with amusing consequences, the mixture finally acting as an emetic.
He moreover states that the sap was not used as a trap for insects,
as some writers have supposed; and while the birds caught insects
occasionally, these did not appear to form a large part of their diet.
An examination of the stomachs of a few birds revealed but little
insect remains, and that little was composed chiefly of ants.
»
HAIRY WOODPECKER.
DRYOBATES VILLOSUS.
CuHar. Above, black and white, the back with long, slender, loose
hair-like feathers; beneath, white; outer tail-feathers white. Male with
scarlet band at back of head, which in the female is black. In immature
birds the crown is more or less tinged with red, or, sometimes with
yellow. Length 8% to 9 inches.
Nest. In open woodland, pasture, or orchard; a cavity in a dead
trunk, without lining.
Epes. 4-5; white and glossy; 1.00 X 0.70.
This common and almost familiar species is a resident
in most parts of America, from Hudson Bay to Florida, fre-
452 WOODPECKERS.
quently approaching the cottage or the skirts of the town as
well as the forest. It is likewise much attached to orchards,
an active borer of their trunks, and an eager hunter after in-
sects and larve in all kinds of decayed wood, even to stumps
and the rails of the fences. In autumn it also feeds on berries
and other fruits. In the month of May, accompanied by his
mate, the male seeks out the seclusion of the woods, and
taking possession of a hollow branch, or cutting out a cavity
anew, he forms his nest in a deep and secure cavern, though
sometimes a mere stake of the fence answers the purpose. In
the Southern States these birds have usually two broods in the
season, and raise them both in the same nest, which is not
infrequently at no great distance from habitations. Their call
consists in a shrill and rattling whistle, heard to a consid-
erable distance. They also give out a single querulous note of
recognition while perambulating the trunks for food.
The habitat of true wz//osus is now considered as restricted to
North Carolina and Eastern Canada. At the Northwest it is repre-
sented by D. villosus leucomelas, a larger variety (length Io to I1
inches), and at the South by D. w7llosus audubonit, which meas-
ures about 8 inches in length.
DOWNY WOODPECKER.
DRYOBATES PUBESCENS.
Cuar. Similar to D. villosus, but smaller. Above, black and white,
the back with long, slender, loose hair-like (“downy ”) feathers; beneath,
white; outer tail-feathers barred. Male with scarlet band at back of
head, which in the female is black. In immature birds the crown is more
or less tinged with red, or, sometimes, with yellow. Length 6% to 7
inches.
West. In open woodland, pasture, or orchard; a cavity in a dead
trunk, without lining.
£ggs.| 4-6; white and glossy; 0.80 X 0.60.
This species, the smallest of American Woodpeckers, agrees
almost exactly with the P v7l/osus in its colors and markings.
It is likewise resident throughout the same countries. About
DOWNY WOODPECKER. 453
the middle of May also, the pair begin to look out a suitable
deposit for their eggs and young. ‘The entrance is in the form
of a perfect circle, and left only just large enough for an indi-
vidual to pass in and out. Both sexes labor for about a week
at this task with indefatigable diligence, carrying on the burrow
in some orchard tree, in two different directions, to the depth
of 16 to 20 inches down; and to prevent suspicion the chips
are carried out and strewn at a distance. The male occa-
sionally feeds his mate while sitting; and about the close of
June the young are observed abroad, climbing up the tree with
considerable address. Sometimes the crafty House Wren in-
terferes, and, driving the industrious tenants from their hole,
usurps possession. These birds have a shrill cackle and a reit-
erated call, which they frequently utter while engaged in quest
of their prey. In the autumn they feed on various kinds of
berries as well as insects. No species can exceed the present
in industry and perseverance. While thus regularly probing
the bark of the tree for insects, it continues so much engaged
as to disregard the approaches of the observer, though imme-
diately under the tree. These perforations, made by our Sag-
suckers, —as the present and Hairy species are sometimes
called, —are carried round the trunks and branches of the
orchard trees in regular circles, so near to each other that,
according to Wilson, eight or ten of them may be covered by
a dollar. The object of this curious piece of industry is not
satisfactorily ascertained ; but whether it be done to taste the
sap of the tree, or to dislodge vermin, it is certain that the
plant escapes uninjured, and thrives as well or better than
those which are unperforated.
This diminutive and very industrious species is a constant
inhabitant of the fur countries up to the 58th parallel, seeking
its food principally on the maple, elm, and ash, and north of
latitude 54 degrees, where the range of these trees terminates,
on the aspen and birch. The circles of round holes which it
makes with so much regularity round the trunks of living trees
are no doubt made for the purpose of getting at the sweet sap
which they contain. In the month of February, 1830, I
454 WOODPECKERS,
observed these borers busy tapping the small live trunks of
several wax-myrtles (Myrica cerifera) ; and these perforations
were carried down into the alburnum, or sap-wood, but no
farther: no insects could be expected, of course, in such situ-
ations, and at this season very few could be obtained anywhere.
On examining the oozing sap, I found it to be exceedingly
saccharine, but in some instances astringent or nearly taste-
less. To a bird like the present, which relishes and devours
also berries, I make no doubt but that this native nectar is
sought after as agreeable and nutritious food, in the same
manner as the Baltimore Bird collects the saccharine secretion
of the fruit blossoms; and in fact I have observed the Wood-
pecker engaged in the act of sipping this sweet fluid, which so
readily supplies it on all occasions with a temporary substitute
for more substantial fare. Sometimes, however, on discovering
insects in a tree, it forgets its taste for the sap, and in quest
of its prey occasionally digs deep holes into the trees large
enough to admit its whole body.
The Downy Woodpecker is found throughout the eastern and
northern portions of North America, and like its congener, the
Hairy, is a resident, rather than a migratory species, breeding usu-
ally wherever it is found. There is no such difference in the two
birds as is represented by the names “hairy” and “downy;” the
long feathers of the back from which the names are derived are
exactly similar. The differentiation lies in the size of the birds
and in some markings on the tail-feathers.
THE RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER.
DRYOBATES BOREALIS.
Cuar. Above, black and white, barred transversely; crown, black;
sides of head with white patch, bordered, above, by red stripe; beneath,
white, sides streaked with black. Length 7% to 8% inches.
Vest. In pine woods; an excavation in a decayed trunk or living tree.
£ggs. 4-6; white, with but little gloss; 0.95 X 0.70.
This species, remarkable for the red stripe on the side of
its head, was discovered by Wilson in the pine woods of
ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, 455
North Carolina, whence it occurs to the coast of the Mexican
Gulf, and as far to the north and west as New Jersey and
Tennessee. It is a very active and noisy species, gliding with
alertness along the trunks and branches of trees, principally
those of oak and pine. At almost every move it utters a short,
shrill, and clear note, audible at a considerable distance. In
the breeding season its call, still more lively and petulant, is
reiterated through the pine forests, where it now chiefly dwells.
These birds are frequently seen by pairs in the company of
the smaller Woodpeckers and Nuthatches in the winter sea-
son, and they now feed by choice principally upon ants and
small coleoptera.
In Florida they are already mated in the month of January,
and prepare their burrows in the following month. The nest
is frequently in a decayed trunk 20 to 30 feet from the
ground. In the winter season, and in cold and wet weather,
this bird is in the habit of roosting in its old nests or in the
holes of decayed trees, and frequently retreats to such places
when wounded or pursued.
The habitat of this species as at present determined is the South-
eastern States, including North Carolina and Tennessee, and West-
ward to Indian Territory.
ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER.
PICOIDES ARCTICUS.
Cuar. Only three toes. Above, black; white stripe on side of head;
outer tail-feathers white; beneath, white barred with black. Adult male
with square patch of yellow on the crown. Length 9% to 10 inches,
Nest. Ina deep forest, an excavation in a dead tree.
Eggs. 4-6; white and glossy; 0.95 X 0.75.
This species is an inhabitant of the northern regions from
Maine to the fur countries, dwelling among deep forests in
mountainous regions. Its voice and habits are indeed pre-
cisely similar to those of the Spotted Woodpeckers, to which it
456 WOODPECKERS.
is closely allied. Its food consists of insects, their eggs and
larvee, to which it sometimes adds, according to the season,
seeds and berries. Audubon had the good fortune to meet
with it in the pine forests of the Pokono Mountains in Penn-
sylvania. It is, however, sufficiently common in the dreary
wilds around Hudson Bay and Severn River. It is remarkable
that a third species, so nearly allied to the present as to have
been confounded with it merely as a variety, is found to inhabit
the woods of Guiana. In this (the Picus undulatus of Vieillot)
the crown, however, is red instead of yellow; the tarsi are also
naked, and the black of the back undulated with white.
This species occurs somewhat sparingly in winter in northern
New England and southern Canada, and sometimes wanders in
numbers to Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York State.
Occasionally one is met in summer in northern Maine and New
Brunswick.
AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.
BANDED-BACKED WOODPECKER.
PIcOIDES AMERICANUS.
CuHar. Only three toes. Above, black, thickly spotted with white
about the head and neck; back barred with white; beneath, white;
sides barred with black. Adult male with yellow patch on the crown.
Length about 9 inches.
Nest. Ina deep forest; an excavation in a dead tree.
Eggs. 4- ?; cream white; 0.90 X 0.70.
According to Richardson, this bird exists as a permanent
resident in all the spruce-forests between Lake Superior and
the Arctic Sea, and is the most common Woodpecker north
of Great Slave Lake. It resembles P. zdZosus in its habits,
seeking its food, however, principally on decaying trees of the
pine tribe, in which it frequently burrows holes large enough
to bury itself.
This is an uncommon winter visitor as far south as northern
New England, though it has been taken in Massachusetts, and
Dr. Merriam has found a nest in the Adirondacks.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.
TROCHILUS COLUBRIS.
CuHar. Above, metallic green; wings and tail brownish violet or
bronzy; chin velvety black; throat rich ruby, reflecting various hues -
from brownish black to bright crimson ; belly whitish. Female and young
without red on the throat, which is dull gray; tail-fcathers barred with
black and tipped with white. Length 3 to 3% inches.
Vest. Inan orchard or open woodland; placed on a horizontal branch
or in a crotch; made of plant down firmly felted and covered exteriorly
with lichens.
Leggs. 2-?; white, with rosy tint when fresh; 0.50 X 0.30.
This wonderfully diminutive and brilliant bird is the only
one of an American genus of more than a hundred species,
which ventures beyond the limit of tropical climates. Its
approaches towards the north are regulated by the advances of
the season. Fed on the honeyed sweets of flowers, it is an
exclusive’ attendant on the varied bounties of Flora. By the
roth to the 20th of March, it is already seen in the mild
forests of Louisiana and the warmer maritime districts of
Georgia, where the embowering and fragrant Gedsemium, the
twin-leaved Bignonia, with a host of daily expanding flowers,
invite our little sylvan guest to the retreats it had reluctantly
458 HUMMING BIRDS.
forsaken. Desultory in its movements, roving only through
the region of blooming sweets, its visits to the Northern States
are delayed till the month of May. Still later, as if deter-
mined that no flower shall “blush unseen, or waste its sweet-
ness on the desert air,” our little sylph, on wings as rapid as
the wind, at once launches without hesitation into the flowery
wilderness of the north.
The first cares of the little busy pair are now bestowed on
their expected progeny. ‘This instinct alone propelled them
from their hibernal retreat within the tropics ; strangers amidst
their numerous and brilliant tribe, they seek only a transient
asylum in the milder regions of their race. With the earliest
dawn of the northern spring, in pairs, as it were with the celer-
ity of thought, they dart at intervals through the dividing
space, till they again arrive in the genial and more happy re-
gions of their birth. The enraptured male is now assiduous
in attention to his mate; forgetful of selfish wants, he feeds
his companion with nectared sweets, and jealous of danger
and interruption to the sole companion of his delights, he often
almost seeks a quarrel with the giant birds which surround him :
he attacks even the Kingbird, and drives the gliding Martin
to the retreat of his box. The puny nest is now prepared in
the long-accustomed orchard or neighboring forest. It is con-
cealed by an artful imitation of the mossy branch to which
it is firmly attached and incorporated. Bluish-gray lichens,
agglutinated by saliva and matched with surrounding objects,
instinctively form the deceiving external coat; portions of the
cunning architecture, for further security, are even tied down
to the supporting station. Within are laid copious quantities of
the pappus or other down of plants; the inner layer of this
exquisite bed is finished with the shortwood of the budding
Flatanus, the mullein, or the soft clothing of unfolding fern-
stalks. Incubation, so tedious to the volatile pair, is completed
in the short space of ten days, and in the warmer States a
second brood is raised. When the nest is approached, the
parents dart around the intruder, within a few inches of his
face ; and the female, if the young are out, often resumes her
RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD. 459
seat, though no more than three or four feet from the observer.
In a single week the young are on the wing, and in this situa-
tion still continue to be fed with their nursing sweets by the
assiduous parents.
Creatures of such delicacy and uncommon circumstances,
the wondrous sports of Nature, everything appears provided
for the security of their existence; the brood are introduced
to life in the warmest season of the year: variation of tempera-
ture beyond a certain medium would prove destructive to
these exquisite forms. The ardent heats of America have
alone afforded them support; no region so cool as the United
States produces a set of feathered beings so delicate and
tender; and, consequently, any sudden extremes, by produ-
cing chill and famine, are fatal to our Humming Birds. In the
remarkably wet summer of 1831 very few of the young were
raised in New England. In other seasons they comparatively
swarm, and the numerous and almost gregarious young are
then seen, till the close of September, eagerly engaged in sip-
ping the nectar from various showy and tubular flowers, partic-
ularly those of the trumpet Bignonia and wild balsam, with
many other conspicuous productions of the fields and gardens.
Sometimes they may also be seen collecting dimunitive in-
sects, or juices from the tender shoots of the pine-tree. While
thus engaged in strife and employment, the scene is peculiarly
amusing. Approaching a flower, and vibrating on the wing
before it, with the rapidity of lightning the long, cleft, and
tubular tongue is exerted to pump out the sweets, while the
buzzing or humming of the wings reminds us of the approach
of some larger sphinx or droning bee. No other sound or
song is uttered, except occasionally a slender chirp while flit-
ting from a flower, until some rival bird too nearly approaches
the same plant; a quick, faint, and petulant squeak is then
uttered, as the little glowing antagonists glide up in swift and
angry gyrations into the air. The action at the same time is so
sudden, and the flight so rapid, that the whole are only traced
for an instant, like a gray line in the air. Sometimes, without
any apparent provocation, the little pugnacious vixen will, for
460 HUMMING BIRDS.
mere amusement, pursue larger birds, such as the Yellow Bird
and Sparrows. To man they show but little either of fear or
aversion, often quietly feeding on their favorite flowers when
so nearly approached as to be caught. They likewise fre-
quently enter the green houses and windows of dwellings
where flowers are kept in sight. After feeding for a time, the
individual settles on some small and often naked bough or
slender twig, and dresses its feathers with great composure,
particularly preening and clearing the plumes of the wing.
The old and young are soon reconciled to confinement. In
an hour after the loss of liberty the cheerful little captive will
often come and suck diluted honey, or sugar and water, from
the flowers held out to it; and ina few hours more it becomes
tame enough to sip its favorite beverage from a saucer, in the
interval flying backwards and forwards in the room for mere
exercise, and then resting on some neighboring elevated object.
In dark or rainy weather it seems to pass the time chiefly
dozing on the perch. It is also soon so familiar as to come to
the hand that feeds it. In cold nights, or at the approach of
frost, the pulsation of this little dweller in the sunbeam be-
comes nearly as low as in the torpid state of the dormouse ;
but on applying warmth, the almost stagnant circulation
revives, and slowly increases to the usual state.
Near the Atlantic this frail creature nests regularly as far north
as the Laurentian hills of Quebec, and breeds in more or less
abundance southward to Florida and westward to the Plains. It
is an abundant summer resident of the Maritime Provinces.
The fact that insects form a staple diet of these diminutive birds
has been satisfactorily proved, though formerly they were sup-
posed to feed entirely on honey. Honey doubtless forms a part
of their food, and they also drink freely of the sweet sap which the
Woodpeckers draw from the maple and birch.
Another mistake regarding the Humming Birds,—that they
never alight while feeding, — has been rectified by several trust-
worthy observers. The birds have been seen to alight on the
leaves of the trumpet-flower while gathering honey, and also to
rest on the tapped trees while they leisurely drank of the flowing
sap.
The young birds are fed by regurgitation.
BELTED KINGFISHER.
CERYLE ALCYON.
Cuar. Above, slaty blue; head with long crest; beneath, white.
Male with blue band across breast. Female and young with breast-band
and sides of belly pale chestnut. Length 12 to 13 inches.
Nest. An excavation in a sandbank, — usually by the side of a stream;
lined with grass and feathers.
Leggs. 6-8; white and glossy; 1.35 X 1.05.
This wild and grotesque-looking feathered angler is a well-
known inhabitant of the borders of fresh waters from the re-
mote fur countries in the 67th parallel to the tropics. Its
delight is to dwell amidst the most sequestered scenes of
uncultivated nature, by the borders of running rivulets, near
the roar of the waterfall, or amidst the mountain streamlets
which abound with the small fish and insects that constitute
its accustomed fare. Mill-dams and the shelving and friable
banks of watercourses, suited for the sylvan retreat of its
brood, have also peculiar and necessary attractions for our re-
tiring Kingfisher. By the broken, bushy, or rocky banks of
462 KINGFISHERS.
its solitary and aquatic retreat, this bird may often be seen
perched on some dead and projecting branch, scrutinizing the
waters for its expected prey. If unsuccessful, it quickly courses
the meanders of the streams or borders of ponds just above
their surface, and occasionally hovers for an instant, with rap-
idly moving wings, over the spot where it perceives the gliding
-quarry; in the next instant, descending with a quick spiral
sweep, a fish is seized from the timid fry, with which it returns
to its post and swallows in an instant. When startled from
the perch, on which it spends many vacant hours digesting its
prey, it utters commonly a loud, harsh, and grating cry, very
similar to the interrupted creakings of a watchman’s rattle, and
almost, as it were, the vocal counterpart to the watery tumult
amidst which it usually resides.
The nest—a work of much labor—is now burrowed in some
dry and sandy or more tenacious bank of earth, situated be-
yond the reach of inundation. At this task both the parties
join with bill and claws, until they have horizontally perforated
the bank to the depth of 5 or 6 feet. With necessary precau-
tion, the entrance is only left sufficient for the access of a
single bird. The extremity, however, is rounded like an oven,
so as to allow the individuals and their brood a sufficiency of
room. This important labor is indeed prospective, as the same
hole is employed for a nest and roost for many succeeding
years. Here the eggs are deposited. Incubation, in which
both parents engage, continues for sixteen days; and they
exhibit great solicitude for the safety of their brood. The
mother, simulating lameness, sometimes drops on the water,
fluttering as if wounded, and unable to rise from the stream.
The male also, perched on the nearest bough, or edge of the
projecting bank, jerks his tail, elevates his crest, and passing to
and fro before the intruder, raises his angry and vehement
rattle of complaint (Audubon). At the commencement of
winter, the frost obliges our humble Fisher to seek more open
streams, and even the vicinity of the sea; but it is seen to
return to Pennsylvania by the commencement of April.
CHIMNEY SWIFT.
CHIMNEY SWALLOW.
CH&TURA PELAGICA.
Cuar. General color sooty brown, paler on the throat and breast,
tinged with green above. Length about 5% inches.
Vest. Usually in a chimney, sometimes in a hollow tree or a barn;
made of twigs cemented with saliva.
Eggs. 4-5; white; 0.70 X 0.50.
This singular bird, after passing the winter in tropical Amer-
ica, arrives in the Middle and Northern States late in April or
early in May. Its migrations extend at least to the sources
of the Mississippi, where it was observed by Mr. Say. More
social than the foreign species, which frequents rocks and ruins,
our Swift takes advantage of unoccupied and lofty chimneys,
the original roost and nesting situation being tall, gigantic
hollow trees such as the elm and buttonwood (/lacanus).
The nest is formed of slender twigs neatly interlaced, some-
what like a basket, and connected sufficiently together by a
copious quantity of adhesive gum or mucilage secreted by the
stomach of the curious architect. This rude cradle of the
young is small and shallow, and attached at the sides to
the wall of some chimney or the inner surface of a hollow
464 SWIFTS.
tree ; it is wholly destitute of lining. They have commonly
two broods in the season. So assiduous are the parents that
they feed the young through the greater part of the night ;
their habits, however, are nearly nocturnal, as they fly abroad
most at and before sunrise, and in the twilight of evening.
The noise which they make while passing up and down the
chimney resembles almost the rumbling of distant thunder.
When the nests get loosened by rains so as to fall down, the
young, though blind, find means to escape, by creeping up and
clinging to the sides of the chimney walls; in this situation
they continue to be fed for a week or more. Soon tired of
their hard cradle, they generally leave it long before they are
capable of flying.
On their first arrival, and for a considerable time after, the
males, particularly, associate to roost in a general resort. This
situation, in the remote and unsettled parts of the country, is
usually a large hollow tree, open at top. These well-known
Swallow trees are ignorantly supposed to be the winter quar-
ters of the species, where, in heaps, they doze away the cold
season in a state of torpidity ; but no proof of the fact is ever
adduced. The length of time such trees have been resorted
to by particular flocks may be conceived, perhaps, by the
account of a hollow tree of this kind described by the Rev. Dr.
Harris in his Journal. The Pla‘anus alluded to, grew in the
upper part of Waterford, in Ohio, two miles from the Muskin-
gum, and its hollow trunk, now fallen, of the diameter of 514
feet, and for nearly 15 feet upwards, contained an entire mass
of decayed Swallow feathers, mixed with brownish dust and
the exuvize of insects. In inland towns these birds have been
known to make their general roost in the chimney of the
court-house. Before descending, they fly in large flocks, mak-
ing many ample and circuitous sweeps in the air; and as the
point of the vortex falls, individuals drop into the chimney
by degrees, until the whole have descended, which generally
takes place in the dusk of the evening. They all, however,
disappear about the first week in August. Like the rest of the
tribe, the Chimney Swift flies very quick, and with but slight
CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW. 405
vibrations of its wings, appearing as it were to swim in the air
in widening circles, shooting backwards and forwards through
the ambient space at great elevations, and yet scarcely moving
its wings. Now and then it is heard to utter, in a hurried
manner, a sound like sp dstp tsip tsee tsee. It is never seen to
alight but in hollow trees or chimneys, and appears always
most gay and active in wet and gloomy weather.
Near the Atlantic border this species is found north to 50°, but
in the West it ranges still farther northward.
CHUCK-WILL’S-WIDOW.
ANTROSTOMUS CAROLINENSIS.
CuHar. Gape extremely wide, the rictal bristles with lateral filaments.
General color reddish brown mottled with black, white, and tawny ; throat
with collar of pale tawny, terminal third of outer tail-feathers white or
buffy; under parts tawny white. Length 11 to 12 inches.
Vest. In open woods or dense thicket. No attempt is made at build-
ing a receptacle for the eggs, which are laid on the bare ground or upon
fallen leaves.
£ggs. 2; white or buffish, marked with brown and lavender; 1.40
X 1.00.
The Carolina Goatsucker is seldom seen to the north of
Virginia, though in the interior its migrations extend up the
shores of the Mississippi to the 38th degree. After wintering
in some part of the tropical continent of America, it arrives in
Georgia and Louisiana about the middle of March, and in Vir-
ginia early in April. Like the following species, it commences
its singular serenade of ‘chuck-’will’s-widow in the evening
soon after sunset, and continues it with short interruptions for
several hours. Towards morning the note is also renewed
until the opening dawn. In the day, like some wandering
spirit, it retires to secrecy and silence, as if the whole had only
been a disturbed dream. Ina still evening this singular call
may be heard for half a mile, its tones being slower, louder,
and more full than those of the Whip-poor-will. The species
is particularly numerous in the vast forests of the Mississippi,
VOL. I. — 30
466 GOATSUCKERS.
where throughout the evening its echoing notes are heard in
the solitary glens and from the surrounding and silent hills,
becoming almost incessant during the shining of the moon;
and at the boding sound of its elfin voice, when familiar and
strongly reiterated, the thoughtful, superstitious savage becomes
sad and pensive. Its flight is low, and it skims only a few feet
above the surface of the ground, frequently settling on logs
and fences, whence it often sweeps around in pursuit of flying
moths and insects, which constitute its food. Sometimes these
birds are seen sailing near the ground, and occasionally descend
to pick up a beetle, or flutter lightly around the trunk of a tree
in quest of some insect crawling upon the bark. In rainy and
gloomy weather they remain silent in the hollow log which
affords them and the bats a common roost and refuge by day.
When discovered in this critical situation, and without the
means of escape, they ruffle up their feathers, spread open
their enormous mouths, and utter a murmur almost like the
hissing of a snake, thus endeavoring, apparently, to intimidate
their enemy when cut off from the means of escape.
This species also lays its eggs, two in number, merely on the
ground, and usually in the woods; if they be handled, or even
the young, the parents, suspicious of danger, remove them to
some other place. As early as the middle of August, accord-
ing to Audubon, these birds retire from the United States ;
though some winter in the central parts of East Florida.
The general habitat of this species is the South Atlantic and
Gulf States and the lower Mississippi valley. Near the Atlantic
the bird ranges to North Carolina, and Mr. Ridgeway reports it
not uncommon in southern Illinois. It winters in the Gulf States
and southward.
WHIP-POOR-WILL. 467
WHIP-POOR-WILL.
ANTROSTOMUS VOCIFERUS.
Cuar. Gape extremely wide; rictal bristles without lateral filaments.
General color dull gray brown, mottled with black, white, and tawny;
throat with collar of white or tawny; outer tail-feathers partly white;
under parts gray mottled with black. Length 9% to 1o inches.
Vest. In dense woods or shady dells; eggs laid on the ground or
amid dry leaves.
£egs. 2; white or buffy marked brown and lavender ; 1.12 X 0.85.
This remarkable and well-known nocturnal bird arrives in
the Southern States in March, and in the Middle States about
the close of April or the beginning of May, and proceeds in
its vernal migrations along the Atlantic States to the centre
of Massachusetts, being seldom seen beyond the latitude of
43°; and yet in the interior of the continent, according to
Vieillot, it continues as far as Hudson Bay, and was heard, as
usual, by Mr. Say at Pembino, in the high latitude of 49°. In
all this vast intermediate space, as far south as Natchez on the
Mississippi, and the interior of Arkansas, these birds familiarly
breed and take up their temporary residence. Some also pass
the winter in the interior of East Florida, according to Audu-
bon. In the eastern part of Massachusetts, however, they are
uncommon, and always affect sheltered, wild, and hilly situa-
tions, for which they have in general a preference. About
the same time that the sweetly echoing voice of the Cuckoo is
first heard in the north of Europe, issuing from the leafy
groves as the sure harbinger of the flowery month of May,
arrives amongst us, in the shades of night, the mysterious
Whip-poor-will. The well-known saddening sound is first
only heard in the distant forest, re-echoing from the lonely glen
or rocky cliff ; at length the oft-told solitary tale is uttered from
the fence of the adjoining field or garden, and sometimes the
slumbering inmates of the cottage are serenaded from the low
roof or from some distant shed. Superstition, gathering terror
from every extraordinary feature of nature, has not suffered
this harmless nocturnal babbler to escape suspicion, and his
468 GOATSUCKERS.
familiar approaches are sometimes dreaded as an omen of
misfortune.
In the lower part of the State of Delaware, I have found
these birds troublesomely abundant in the breeding season, so
that the reiterated echoes of 'whip-'whip-pddr-will, 'whip-péri-
will, issuing from several birds at the same time, occasioned
such a confused vociferation as at first to banish sleep. This.
call, except in moonlight nights, is continued usually till mid-
night, when they cease until again aroused, for a while, at the
commencement of twilight. The first and last syllables of
this brief ditty receive the strongest emphasis, and now and
then a sort of guttural c/uck is heard between the repetitions ;
but the whole phrase is uttered in little more than a second
of time.
Although our Whip-poor-will seems to speak out in such
plain English, to the ears of the aboriginal Delaware its call was
wecodlis, though this was probably some favorite phrase or
interpretation, which served it for a name. The Whip-poor-
will, when engaged in these nocturnal rambles, is seen to fly
within a few feet of the surface in quest of moths and other
insects, frequently, where abundant, alighting around the house.
During the day the birds retire into the darkest woods, usually
on high ground, where they pass the time in silence and
repose, the weakness of their sight by day compelling them
to avoid the glare of the light.
The female commences laying about the second week in
May in the Middle States, considerably later in Massachusetts ;
she is at no pains to form a nest, though she selects for her
deposit some unfrequented part of the forest near a pile of
brush, a heap of leaves, or the low shelving of a hollow rock,
and always in a dry situation; here she lays two eggs, without
any appearance of an artificial bed. This deficiency of nest is
amply made up by the provision of nature, for, like Partridges,
the young are soon able to run about after their parents; and
until the growth of their feathers they seem such shapeless
lumps of clay-colored down that it becomes nearly impossible
to distinguish them from the ground on which they repose.
WHIP-POOR-WILL. 469
Were a nest present in the exposed places where we find the
young, none would escape detection. The mother also, faith-
ful to her charge, deceives the passenger by prostrating herself
along the ground with beating wings, as if in her dying agony.
The activity of the young and old in walking, and the absence
of a nest, widely distinguishes these birds from the Swallows,
with which they are associated. A young fledged bird of this
species, presented to me, ran about with great celerity, but
refused to eat, and kept continually calling out at short inter-
vals pé-ugh in a low, mournful note.
After the period of incubation, or about the middle of June,
the vociferations of the males cease, or are but rarely given.
Towards the close of summer, previously to their departure,
they are again occasionally heard, but their note is now languid
and seldom uttered ; and erly in September they leave us for
the more genial climate of tropical America, being there found
giving their usual lively cry in the wilds of Cayenne and
Demerara. They enter the United States early in March, but
are some weeks probably in attaining their utmost northern
limit.
Their food appears to be large moths, beetles, grasshoppers,
ants, and such insects as frequent the bark of decaying timber.
Sometimes, in the dusk, they will skim within a few feet ofa
person, making a low chatter as they pass. They also, in com-
mon with other species, flutter occasionally around the domes-
tic cattle to catch any insects which approach or rest upon
them ; and hence the mistaken notion of their sucking goats,
while they only cleared them of molesting vermin.
The Whip-poor-will is a common summer resident throughout
New England, and is not uncommon in the Maritime Provinces. It
is common also in Ontario, and Dr. Robert Bell reports finding it
in the southern parts of the Hudson Bay region. Mr. Thompson
reports it common in Manitoba. These birds winter in Florida and
southward.
NIGHTHAWK.
GOATSUCKER. BULL BAT.
CHORDEILES VIRGINIANUS.
CHAR. Male: above, dull black mottled with brown and gray; wings
brown, a patch of white on five outer primaries; tail dusky, with bars ot
gaay and a patch of white near the extremity ;.lower parts reddish white
with bars of brown; throat with patch of white. Female: similar, but
without white on the tail. Length about 9% inches.
Nest. Usually in open woods; the eggs generally laid upon a rock or
on the turf, — sometimes they are laid on a gravel roof in a city.
£ggs. 2; dull white or buff, thickly mottled with brown, slate, and
lilac; 1.25 X 0.85.
Towards the close of April the Nighthawks arrive in the
Middle States, and early in May they are first seen near the
sea-coast of Massachusetts, which at all times appears to be a
favorite resort. In the interior of the continent they penetrate
as far as the sources of the Mississippi, the Rocky Mountains,
and the Territory of Oregon; they are likewise observed
around the dreary coasts of Hudson Bay and the remotest
Arctic islands, breeding in the whole intermediate region to
the more temperate and elevated parts of Georgia. They are
now commonly seen towards evening, in pairs, sailing round in
sweeping circles high in the air, occasionally descending lower
NIGHTHAWK. 471
to capture flying insects, chiefly of the larger kind, such as
wasps, beetles, and moths. About the middle of May, or
later, the female selects some open spot in the woods, the
corner of a corn-field or dry gravelly knoll, on which to
deposit her eggs, which are only two, and committed to the
bare ground, where, however, from the similarity of their tint
with the soil, they are, in fact, more secure from observation
than if placed in a nest. Here the male and his mate reside
during the period of incubation, roosting at a distance from
each other on the ground or in the neighboring trees; and in
consequence of the particular formation of their feet, like the
rest of the genus, they roost or sit lengthwise on the branch.
During the progress of incubation the male is seen frequently,
for some hours before nightfall, playing about in the air over
the favorite spot, mounting in wide circles, occasionally pro-
pelled by alternate quick and slow vibrations of the wings,
until at times he nearly ascends beyond the reach of sight,
and is only known by his sharp and sudden squeak, which
greatly resembles the flying shriek of the towering Swift. At
other times he is seen suddenly to precipitate himself down-
wards for 60 or 80 feet, and wheeling up again as rapidly ; at
which instant a hollow whirr, like the rapid turning of a
spinning-wheel or a strong blowing into the bung-hole of an
empty hogshead, is heard, and supposed to be produced by
the action of the air on the wings or in the open mouth of the
bird. He then again mounts as before, playing about in his
ascent and giving out his harsh squeak till in a few moments
the hovering is renewed as before ; and at this occupation the
male solely continues till the close of twilight. The Euro-
pean Goatsucker is heard to utter the hollow whirr when
perched and while holding it head downwards, so that it does
not appear to be produced by the rushing of the air. The
female, if disturbed while sitting on her charge, will suffer the
spectator to advance within a foot or two of her before she
leaves the nest; she then tumbles about and flutters with an
appearance of lameness to draw off the observer, when at
length she mounts into the air and disappears. On other
472 GOATSUCKERS.
occasions the parent, probably the attending male, puffs him-
self up as it were into a ball of feathers; at the same time
striking his wings on the ground and opening his capacious
mouth to its full extent, he stares wildly and utters a blowing
hiss like that of the Barn Owl when surprised in his hole. On
observing this grotesque manceuvre, and this appearance so
unlike that of a volatile bird, we are struck with the propriety
of the metaphorical French name of Crvapaud volans, or
Flying Toad, which this bird indeed much resembles while
thus shapelessly tumbling before the astonished spectator.
The same feint is also made when he is wounded, on being
approached. Like some of the other species, instinctively
vigilant for the safety of their misshapen and tender brood,
these birds also probably convey them or the eggs from the
scrutiny of the meddling observer. In our climate they have
no more than a single brood.
Sometimes the Nighthawk, before his departure, is seen to
visit the towns and cities, sailing in circles and uttering his
squeak as he flies high and securely over the busy streets,
occasionally sweeping down, as usual, with his whirring notes ;
and at times he may be observed, even on the tops of chim-
neys, uttering his harsh call. In gloomy weather these birds
are abroad nearly the whole day, but are most commonly in
motion an hour or two before dusk. Sometimes indeed they
are seen out in the brightest and hottest weather, and occa-
sionally, while basking in the sun, find means to give chase to
the Cicinde, Caraéi, and other entirely diurnal insects, as
well as grasshoppers, with which they often gorge themselves
in a surprising manner; but they probably seldom feed more
than an hour or two in the course of the day. On Wappatoo
Island, at the estuary of the Wahlamet, they were till the roth
of September numerous and familiar, alighting often close to
the dwellings, in quest probably of crawling insects which come
out in the dark.
About the middle of August they begin their migrations
towards the south, on which occasion they may be seen in the
evening moving in scattered flocks consisting of several hun-
NIGHTHAWK. 473
dreds together, and darting after insects or feeding leisurely as
they advance towards more congenial climes. For two or
three weeks these processions along the rivers and their banks,
tending towards their destination, are still continued. Mingled
with the wandering host are sometimes also seen the different
species of Swallow, —a family to which they are so much allied
in habits and character; but by the 20th of September the
whole busy troop have disappeared for the season.
I have observed Nighthawks flying over the city of St. John, in
New Brunswick, during most of the summer months, and have
known of the eggs being found frequently on gravel roofs in that
city.
Note. — The FLoripa NIGHTHAWK (C. virginianus chap-
mant),a smaller race, breeds in Florida and westward on the
Gulf coast.
PLXT.
1-2 Rock Ptarmigan. 4-5, Passenger Pigec
3. Partridge. 6. Ruffed Grouse.
PART Th
GAME AND WATER BIRDS.
Part Ti.
GAME AND WATER BIRDS.
CONTENTS.
PaGE
. ALBATROSS, Yellow-nosed . . 277 | Duck, Ruddy
Wandering 278 Scaup ...
Auk, Great . oP Ge 414 Wood
Razor-billed . 410
Avocet . ‘ 106 | EGRET. ae:
Reddish .
BALDPATE -3t1 | Eider... .
Bittern. . tie -% » 09 King
Cory’s Least . 102 Northern .
Least Tor | 5
Bob-White : 23 LAMINGO
Fulmar
Booby. .... . 379 L
Brant ee & & % + 293 pean
Buffle-head . . - 347 | GapwalL .. .
Coor . 197 Gallinule, Florida.
Cormorant So ge ke ae BOO) Purple .
Double-crested . . 372 | Gannet eae 8
Crane, Little Brown . 76 | Godwit, Hudsonian .
Sandhill 77 Marbled .
Whooping . 73 Golden-eye 3
Curlew, Eskimo 122 Barrow’s.
Hudsonian . 120 | Goose, Blue .
Long-billed . 118 Canada .
Greater Snow
Dove, Ground . . 13 Hutchins’s
Mourning . II White-fronted
Zenaida . 1o | Grebe, Holbeell’s .
Dovekie . 403 Horned. .
Dowitcher . . . 169 Pied-billed .
Duck, Black. . . » 315 | Grouse, Canada
Canvas-back 336 Ruffed. . .
Harlequin . » 352 Sharp-tailed .
Labrador 302 | Guillemot, Black .
Lesser Scaup . . 345 | Gull, Bonaparte’s
Ring-necked 346 Franklin’s .
iv CONTENTS.
Pace Pace
Gull, Glaucous . . . . 248 | Noppy .. + «+ © « + 232
Great Black- backed e fet252
Herring . . . . . . 246 | OLDSQUAW. . - + + + + 355
Iceland . . . . . . 250 | Oyster-catcher . . - + + + 54
Tyory s aoe 8 3 we ww RMd
Kumlien’s . . . . . 251 PELICAN, Brown . . . « « 368
Laughing. . . . . . 236 White . . . . .» 364
Ring-billed . 2... 243 Petrel, Leach’s. . . . . . 263
Ross’s. . . 2 «4 239 Stormy. . - +. 267
Sabine’s . 2. 1. . 234 Wilson’s és e264
Phalarope, Northern. » 4, 41207
Hen, Heath. . . . . . . 38 Red. . . . « . 205
Prairie. . . 35 Wilson’s . . . . 211 .
Heron, Black- crowned Night . ot | Pheasant, English. . . . . 22
Great Blue . . . . 78 | Pigeon, Passenger. . . . . I
Great White. . . . 82 White-crowned. . . 7
Green . . . . . ~ 97 | Pintail. . + ee 309
Little Blue . . . . 94 | Plover, Black- bellied . eet a 108
Louisiana. . . . « 96 Golden. . . . . . 57
Snowy... .. . 86 Piping. 2... ee 59
Ward’s. . . 82 Ringed. . . . . . 66
Yellow- crowned Night go Semi-palmated . . . 64
Wilson’s . . . . . 61
IBIs, Glossy ee we ww ee dG Prairie Hen... .... 35
Scarlet. . . + + + +112 | Ptarmigan, Rock... . . 47
White... .. . . II2 Welch’s . . . . 48
Wood ...... . 110 Willow... . 43
JAEGER, Long-tailed . . . . 259 EME ge cies de cm gO
Parasitic . . . . . 258 | QuarL-DovE, Blue-headed. . 14
Pomarine. . . « . 257 Key West . . 9
KILLDEER . .. . + - . 62/ Rat,Black. . ... . . 106
Kittiwake. . . 2. . «. + « 241 Clapper. . . . . . 183
Knot . . «6 + 6 © © © « 140 King. . . 2. - . . 188
Virginia. . . . . . 180
LIMPKIN. «6 ee ee Yellow . . . . . . 194
Loon . ....- «. + «388 | Redhead... . . . . . 340
Black-throated . . . .391 | Ruff ...... + . Igo
Red-throated. . . . 393
I
fe]
Rn
SANDERLING .. . . +. 49
MALLARD... . ~ « ~ 303 | Sandpiper, Baird’s . . . . 142
Man-of-war Bird . . . . + 373 Bartramian . . . 164
Merganser . . . . . + « 358 Buff-breasted . . 132
Hooded .. . . 363 Curlew . . . . 125
Red-breasted. . . 360 Least. . . . . 136
Murre. . . .... . . 398 Pectoral . . . . 130
Briinnich’s . . . . . 401 Purple sa os 19a
Sandpiper, Red-backed .
Semi-palmated
Solitary .
Spotted .
Stilt ij
White-rumped
Scoter, American. . . .
Surky a ise as
White-winged
Shearwater, Audubon’s .
Cory’s . .
Greater .
Sooty
Shoveller. . . . .
Skimmer, Black
Skua > em
Snipe, Wilson’s . . . .
Sora: ww a ws
Spoonbill, Roseate . . .
Stilt, Black-necked . . .
Swan, Trumpeter. . ..
Whistling . . . .
CONTENTS.
PaGE
- 126
- 143
- 157
. 160
+ 145
. 129
+ 333
+ 331
334
+ 275
+ 274
» 272
+ 275
+ 300
. 260
+ 255
. 172
. 189
- 108
52
299
296
TEAL, Blue-winged
Green-winged .
Tern, Arctic. . .
Black... .
Cabot’s ...
Caspian...
Common. . .
Forster’s. . .
Gull-billed .
Least s « a
Roseate . . .
Royal. ...
Sooty .
Tropic Bird, Red-billed .
Turkey, Wild . .
Turnstone
WIDGEON . a
Willet «.« « & & %
Woodcock ..,.
YELLOW-LEGS
Greater
ILLUSTRATIONS IN
PART II.
COLORED PLATES.
Puate XI. . . . Frontispiece
1. RocK PTARMIGAN (Male).
2. Rock PTARMIGAN (Female).
3. PARTRIDGE.
4. WILD PIGEON (Male).
s, WILD PIGEON (Female)
6. RUFFED GROUSE.
PLaTE XII.
I. PIPING PLOVER.
2. SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER.
3. GOLDEN PLOVER.
4. PRAIRIE HEN.
5. CANADA GROUSE.
Page 42
PLATE XIII. . Page 100
1. WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER.
2. Knot.
3. BITTERN
4. SANDERLING.
5. KILLDEER.
PLATE XIV... Page 152
1. GREATER YELLOW-LEGS.
2. REDDISH EGRET.
3. RED-BREASTED SNIPE.
4
Lonc-BILLED CURLEW.
PLaTE XV. . -
1. SORA.
2. VIRGINIA RAIL.
3. CLAPPER RAIL.
4. YELLOW RAIL,
5. FLAMINGO.
Page 182
PLaTE XVI. . . Page 238
1. NORTHERN PHALAROPE.
z. BONAPARTE’S GULL.
3. WILSon’s TERN.
. HERRING GULL (Adult Male).
. HERRING GULL (Young, First
Autumn).
n>
PLATE XVII...
1. BRANT.
z. WILSON’S PETREL.
3. RosEATE TERN.
4. CANADA GOOSE.
. Page 264
PLaTE XVIII.
1. WoopDcock.
. CANVAS-BACK DUCK.
. MALLARD Duck.
. Brack Duck.
. Ruppy Duck.
Page 316
up wn
vill
PLATE XIX, .
2.
3
4.
5
ILLUSTRATIONS.
GADWALL Duck.
Scaup Duck.
AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE.
HARLEQUIN Duck.
SurF Duck.
Page 350
I.
Page 372
Peare XX «so
DouBLE-CRESTED CORMOR-
ANT.
. Loon.
. BRUNNICH’s MURRE.
. PUFFIN.
nanpw sn
ILLUSTRATIONS IN
Page
. PASSENGER PIGEON .
. KEY WEST QuaIL-DovE
. MouRNING DovE .
. WILD TURKEY ..
. BoB-WHITE ..
Prairie Hen. .
. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE
. SANDERLING
. AMERICAN OYSTER-
CATCHER « « »
. RING PLOVER.
. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER
. TURNSTONE. .. .
. SNOWY HERON
. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT
HERON
. FLAMINGO ... +
. ROSEATE SPOONBILL
Woop Isis.
. GLossy IBIS
HUuDSONIAN CURLEW .
CuRLEW SANDPIPER .
. BUFF-BREASTED SAND-
PIPER. ss 4 8 © *%
. PURPLE SANDPIPER .
KNOT. . 2 ee
SEMI-PALMATED SAND-
PIPER» « ee
WHLLET 2 2 « © +
. RUFF . 1 2. 6 ee
SOLITARY SANDPIPER .
SPOTTED SANDPIPER
I
9
Il
15
23
35
39
49
54
66
68
71
86
91
104
108
110
114
120
125
132
134
140
143
146
150
157
160
No.
II5.
116,
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
122,
123.
124.
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
. Kina EIDER.
THE TEXT.
MARBLED GODWIT . .
WILSon’s SNIPE. . .
VIRGINIA RaIL . ¥
Kine RAIL. 2...
YELLOW RalL. .. .
AMERICAN CooT. . .
RED PHALAROPE. ..
CoMMON TERN...
GULL-BILLED TERN. .
ARCTIC TERN... .
CASPIAN TERN ...
Buiack TERN .. .
SABINE’s GULL .. .
LAUGHING GULL . .
KITTIWAKE. . ..
Ivory GULL ....
HERRING GULL...
GLaucous GULL. .
GREAT BLACK-BACKED
GULE. 44k we ee
SKUA 3. 30 B: ie Se &
POMARINE JAEGER. .
LEACH’s PETREL. . .
FULMAR.. .%% 6 © «
GREATER SHEARWATER
YELLOW-NOSED ALBA-
TROSS.....
GREATER SNOW GOOSE
AMERICAN WHITE-
FRONTED GOOSE. .
CANADA GOOSE ...
BRANT
oo.
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ILLUSTRATIONS. ix
No. Page | No. Page
144. SHOVELLER. . «. . . 300 | 159. CORMORANT ... . 360
145. GADWALL . . « « « 307 | 160. GANNET . . «ws 6 375
146. PINTAIL . « . + « « 309 | 161. RED-BILLED Tropic
147. BALDPATE . . . . . 311 BIRD... . 6 « 381
148. WIDGEON . . . ~ . 313 | 162. HORNED GREBE. . . 383
149. Woop Duck . . . . 317 | 163. PIED-BILLED GREBE . 386
150. GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 321 | 164. LOON. . . . . . . 388
15t. AMERICAN EIDER . . 324 | 165. RED-THROATED LOON. 393
152. SURF SCOTER. . . . 331 | 166, BLack GUILLEMOT. . 395
153. REDHEAD ... . . 340 | 167, MURRE . .... . 398
154. AMERICAN ScAuP Duck 343 | 168. BRUNNICH’s MURRE . 4OI
155. BUFFLE-HEAD. . . . 347 | 169. DOVEKIE. . . . « . 403
156. HARLEQUIN DucCK . . 352] 170. PUFFIN... . . + 406
157, OLD SQUAW... . . « 355 | 171. RAzOR-BILLED AUK . 410
158. HOODED MERGANSER . 363 ! 172, GREAT AUK .. . 414
PASSENGER PIGEON.
WILD PIGEON.
ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIUS.
Cuar. Above, grayish blue, deeper on head and rump, back tinged
with brown; primaries blackish with border of pale blue; middle tail-
feathers dusky, the remainder shading through blue to white ; neck with
metallic reflections of golden purple and wine color; under parts brown-
ish red with a purple tint shading through purplish pink to white.
West. In tree, —a frail platform of twigs.
Eggs. or 2; dull white; 1.45 X 1.05.
The Wild Pigeon of America, so wonderful for its gregarious
habits, is met with more or less according to circumstances
VOL. Il. — 1
2 PIGEON TRIBE.
from Mexico to Hudson Bay, in which inhospitable region
it is seen even in December, weathering the severity of the
climate with indifference, and supporting itself upon the
meagre buds of the juniper when the ground is hidden by
inundating snows. To the west it is found to the base of the
Northern Andes, or Rocky Mountains, but does not appear
to be known beyond this natural barrier to its devious
wanderings. As might be supposed from its extraordinary
history, it is formed with peculiar strength of wing, moving
through the air with extreme rapidity, urging its flight also by
quick and very muscular strokes. During the season of
amorous address it often flies out in numerous hovering cir-
cles; and whilé thus engaged, the tips of the great wing-
feathers are heard to strike against each other so as to produce
a very audible sound.
The almost incredible and unparalleled associations which
the species form with each other appear to have no relation
with the usual motives to migration among other birds. A
general and mutual attachment seems to occasion this congre-
gating propensity. Nearly the whole species, which at any one
time inhabit the continent, are found together in the same
place; they do not fly from climate, as they are capable of
enduring its severity and extremes. They are even found to
breed in the latitude of 51 degrees, round Hudson Bay and
the interior of New Hampshire, as well as in the 32d degree in
the dense forests of the great valley of the Mississippi. The
accidental situation of their food alone directs all their move-
ments ; while this continues to be supplied they sometimes
remain sedentary in a particular district, as in the dense forests
of Kentucky, where the great body remained for years in suc-
cession, and were scarcely elsewhere to be found; and here,
at length, when the mast happened to fail, they disappeared
for several years.
The rapidity of flight, so necessary in their vast domestic
movements, is sufficiently remarkable. The Pigeons killed
near the city of New York have been found with their crops
full of rice collected in the plantations of Georgia or Carolina ;
PASSENGER PIGEON. 3
and as this kind of food is digested by them entirely in twelve
hours, they must have travelled probably three or four hundred
miles in about the half of that time, or have sped at the rate of
a mile in a minute. With a velocity like this, our Pigeon might
visit the shores of Europe in less than three days; and, in fact,
according to Flemming, a straggler was actually shot in Scot-
land in the winter of 1825. Associated with this rapidity of
flight must also be the extent and acuteness of its vision, or
otherwise the object of its motions would be nugatory; so
that while thus darting over the country almost with the
velocity of thought, it still keeps up a strict survey for its
fare, and in passing over a sterile region sails high in the air
with a widely extended front, but instantly drops its flight at
the prospect of food, flying low till it alights near an ample
supply.
The associated numbers of Wild Pigeons, the numerous
flocks which compose the general swarm, are without any
other parallel in the history of the feathered race; they can
indeed alone be compared to the finny shoals of herrings,
which, descending from the Arctic regions, discolor and fill
the ocean to the extent of mighty kingdoms. Of their amaz-
ing numbers and the circumstances attendant on this fact, the
reader will do well to consult the indefatigable Wilson and the
celebrated Audubon. Our limits and more bounded personal
information will not allow us to enlarge on this curious and
extraordinary subject. To talk of hundreds of millions of
individuals of the same species habitually associated in feed-
ing, roosting, and breeding, without any regard to climate or
season as an operating cause in these gregarious movements,
would at first appear to be wholly incredible if not borne out
by the numerous testimony of all the inhabitants of the neigh-
boring districts. The approach of the mighty feathered army
with a loud rushing roar and a stirring breeze, attended by a
sudden darkness, might be mistaken for a fearful tornado about
to overwhelm the face of Nature. For several hours together
the vast host, extending some miles in breadth, still continues
to pass in flocks without diminution. The whole air is filled
4 PIGEON TRIBE.
with birds ; their muting resembles a shower of sleet, and they
shut out the light as if it were an eclipse. At the approach of
the Hawk their sublime and beautiful aérial evolutions are
disturbed like the ruffling squall extending over the placid
ocean ; as a thundering torrent they rush together in a concen-
trating mass, and heaving in undulating and glittering sweeps
towards the earth, at length again proceed in lofty meanders
like the rushing of a mighty animated river.
But the Hawk is not their only enemy: tens of thousands
are killed in various ways by all the inhabitants far and near.
The evolutions of the feeding Pigeons as they circle round are
both beautiful and amusing. Alighting, they industriously
search through the withered leaves for their favorite mast ;
those behind are continually rising and passing forward in
front, in such rapid succession that the whole flock, still cir-
cling over the ground, seem yet on the wing.
As the sun begins to decline, they depart in a body for the
general roost, which is often hundreds of miles distant, and is
generally chosen in the tallest and thickest forests, almost
divested of underwood. Nothing can exceed the waste and
desolation of these nocturnal resorts; the vegetation becomes
buried by their excrements to the depth of several inches.
The tall trees for thousands of acres are completely killed, and
the ground strewed with massy branches torn down by the
clustering weight of the birds which have rested upon them.
The whole region for several years presents a continued scene
of devastation, as if swept by the resistless blast of a whirlwind.
The Honorable T. H. Perkins informs me that he has seen one
of these desolated roosting-grounds on the borders of Lake
Champlain in New York, and that the forest to a great extent
presented a scene of total ruin.
The dreeding-places, as might naturally be expected, differ
from the voos¢s in their greater extent. In 1807, according to
Wilson, one of these immense nurseries, near Shelbyville in
Kentucky, was several miles in breadth and extended through
the woods for upwards of forty miles. After occupying this
situation for a succession of seasons they at length abandoned
PASSENGER PIGEON. 5
it, and removed sixty or eighty miles off to the banks of Green
River in the same State, where they congregated in equal
numbers. ‘These situations seem regulated by the prospect of
a supply of food, such as beech and oak mast. They also
feed on most kinds of pulse and grain, as well as whortle-
berries, with those of the holly and nettle tree. Wilson often
counted upwards of ninety nests in a single tree, and the whole
forest was filled with them. ‘These frail cradles for the young
are merely formed of a few slender dead twigs negligently put
together, and with so little art that the concavity appears
scarcely sufficient for the transient reception of the young, who
are readily seen through this thin flooring from below. The
eggs are white, as usual, and only two in number, one of them
abortive, according to Wilson, and producing usually but a
single bird. Audubon, however, asserts that there are two, as
in the tame Pigeons, where the number of the sexes in this
faithful tribe are almost uniformly equal. Their cooing call,
billing, and general demeanor are apparently quite similar to
the behavior of the domestic species in the breeding-season.
Birds of prey, and rapacious animals generally, are pretty
regular attendants upon these assailable communities. But
their most destructive enemy is man; and as soon as the
young are fully grown, the neighboring inhabitants assemble
and encamp for several days around the devoted Pigeons with
wagons, axes, and cooking utensils, like the outskirts of a
destructive army. The perpetual tumult of the birds, the
crowding and fluttering multitudes, the thundering roar of
their wings, and the crash of falling trees, from which the
young are thus precipitated to the ground by the axe, pro-
duces altogether a scene of indescribable and almost terrific
confusion. It is dangerous to walk beneath these clustering
crowds of birds, from the frequent descent of large branches
broken down by the congregating millions ; the horses start at
the noise, and conversation can only be heard in a shout.
These sguabs, or young Pigeons, of which three or four broods
are produced in the season, are extremely fat and palatable,
and as well as the old birds killed at the roosts are often, with
6 PIGEON TRIBE.
a wanton prodigality and prodigious slaughter, strewed on the
ground as fattening food for the hogs. At the roosts the
destruction is no less extensive ; guns, clubs, long poles, pots
of burning sulphur, and every other engine of destruction
which wanton avarice can bring forward, are all employed
against the swarming host. Indeed for a time, in many
places, nothing scarcely is seen, talked of, or eaten, but
Pigeons.
In the Atlantic States, where the flocks are less abundant,
the gun, decoy, and net are put in operation against the
devoted throng. Twenty or even thirty dozen have been
caught at a single sweep of the net. Wagon-loads of them
are poured into market, where they are sometimes sold for no
more than a cent apiece. Their combined movements are
also sometimes sufficiently extensive. The Honorable T. H.
Perkins remarks that about the year 1798, while he was pass-
ing through New Jersey, near Newark, the flocks continued to
pass for at least two hours without cessation; and he learnt
from the neighboring inhabitants that in descending upon a
large pond to drink, those in the rear, alighting on the backs of
the first that arrived (in the usual order of their movements on
land to feed), pressed them beneath the surface, so that tens of
thousands were thus drowned. ‘They were likewise killed in
great numbers at the roosts with clubs.
Down to twenty years ago immense flocks of Pigeons were
seen yearly in every State of New England, and they nested in
communities that were reckoned by thousands. Now, in place of
the myriads that gathered here, only a few can be found, and these
are scattered during the breeding-season, — each pair selecting an
isolated site for the nest.
Twenty years ago the Wild Pigeon was exceedingly abundant in
the Maritime Provinces of Canada; now it is rare. Mcllwraith
sends a similar report from Ontario. Wheaton, in Ohio, finds it
“irregular and uncommon,” and writes of the “throngs” that
formerly nested there. Ridgeway says nothing of its occurrence
in Illinois to-day, but repeats the story of the older observers,
to whom it was familiar. Warren says it appears in Pennsylvania
in the fall, but no longer in the abundance of former years. To-
day we must go to the upper regions of the Mississippi valley and
WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON. 7
to the heavily timbered districts of Michigan to find large flocks of
Pigeons, and even there we can find but a remnant of the hosts
that assembled in those regions a few years ago.
The most important of recent contributions to the biography of
this species is Mr. William Brewster’s article in “The Auk”
for October, 1889. He tells there of a “nesting” in Michigan in
1877 that covered an area twenty-eight miles long and three to four
miles wide, and says: “For the entire distance of twenty-eight
miles every tree of any size had more or less nests, and many trees
were filled with them.”
Brewster visited Michigan in 1888, and heard that a large flock
had passed over the northern section of the southern penninsula,
but it had gone farther north before nesting, — he could not find it.
He thinks the flock was sufficiently large to stock the Western
States again, were these birds protected for a few years from the
terrific slaughter that now imperils their existence ; for it is simply
this slaughter that has diminished the numbers of the birds. There
is no mystery about their disappearance, as many writers have tried
to represent. Doubtless this species has been irregular in appear-
ing in any given locality at all times, the movements of the flocks
being influenced by the food supply. But the Pigeons have been
exterminated in the East just as they are being exterminated in the
West, — by “netting.” One old netter told Mr. Brewster that
during 1881 as many as five hundred men were engaged in netting
Pigeons in Michigan, and, said he, “ They captured on the average
twenty thousand apiece during the season.” At this rate the Pigeon
will soon join the buffalo on that list so disgraceful to humanity,
“the extinct species,” —a list that will be filled rapidly if a check
is not put on men’s avarice and the law’s shameful negligence.
WHITE-CROWNED PIGEON.
CoLUMBA LEUCOCEPHALA.
CuHar. General color dark slate blue, darker on wings and tail, paler
below ; upper part of head white; cape on hind neck of rich maroon, and
below it a band of metallic green, each feather bordered with scale-like
patches of black. Length about 13% inches.
Nest. In low tree or bush, made of twigs and roots, lined with grass.
L£ggs. 2; white; 1.40 X 1.05.
This species, well known as an inhabitant of Mexico and
the West Indies, is also gregarious, and found in great numbers
8 PIGEON TRIBE.
on the rocks of the Florida Keys, where it breeds in society
and when first seen in the spring feeds principally upon the
beech-plum and the berries of a kind of palm. From the
peculiar selection of its breeding-places it is known in some of
the West Indies, particularly Jamaica, St. Domingo, and Porto
Rico, by the name of Rock Pigeon. It likewise abounds in
the Bahama islands, and forms an important article of food to
the inhabitants, — particularly the young birds as they become
fully grown.
According to Audubon, these birds arrive on the southern
keys of the Floridas, from the island of Cuba, from the 2oth
of April to the rst of May, remaining to breed during the sum-
mer season. They are at all times extremely shy and wary,
remaining so indeed even while incubating, skipping from the
nests and taking to wing without noise, and remaining off
sometimes as much as half an hour at atime. In the month
of May the young squabs are nearly able to fly, and are killed
in great numbers by the wreckers who visit the keys. The
nest is placed on the summit of a cactus shoot a few feet from
the ground or on the upper branches of a mangrove, or quite
low impending over the water; externally it is composed of
small twigs, and lined with grass and fibrous roots. The eggs
are two, white, rather roundish, and as large as those of the
domestic Pigeon. This bird has apparently several broods in
the season. His cooing may be heard to a considerable dis-
tance ; after a kind of crowing prelude he repeats his koo hoo
koo. When suddenly approached, he utters a hollow guttural
sound, like the Common Pigeon. White-crowned Pigeons are
easily domesticated, and breed in that state freely. About the
beginning of October they are very numerous, and then return
to pass the winter in the West India islands.
KEY WEST QUAIL-DOVE.
PARTRIDGE PIGEON.
GEOTRYGON MARTINICA.
Cuar. Above, reddish purple, the neck and head with metallic reflec.
tions of green; below, pale vinaceous, fading to white on chin, and to
buff on under tail-coverts ; white of chin extends below the eyes. Length
about 11 inches.
Nest. In low branches, sometimes on the ground; made of light
twigs.
Eggs. 2; white; 1.40 X 1.00.
This beautiful species, originally discovered in Jamaica, was
found by Audubon to be a summer resident on the island of
Key West, near the extremity of East Florida; it retires in
winter to the island of Cuba. Its flight is low, swift, and
protracted, keeping in loose flocks or families of from five or
six to a dozen. These dwell chiefly in the tangled thickets,
but go out at times to the shore to feed and dust themselves.
This bird contracts and spreads out its neck in the usual
manner of Pigeons. Its cooing is not so soft or prolonged as
that of the Common Dove; the sound resembles whoe whoe-
oh-ch-oh-oh. When surprised, it gives a guttural, gasping
sound, somewhat like that of the Common Pigeon in the same
circumstances. Quail Doves keep usually near shady secluded
ponds in the thickest places, and perch on the low branches
of the trees. The nest is formed of light dry twigs, sometimes
10 PIGEON TRIBE.
on the ground, on the large branches of trees, or even on
slender twigs. On the 20th of May it will contain two white
eggs, almost translucent. In July these pigeons come out of
the thickets in flocks of all ages, and frequenting the roads to
dust themselves, are then easily procured and considered good
food. They feed chiefly on berries and seeds, and particularly
the sea-grape. They depart for Cuba or the other West India
islands about the middle of October.
This species is now met with only on Key West and the ex-
treme southern islands of Florida, and even there is a rare bird.
NoTEe.— A specimen of the RUDDY QUAIL-DOVE (Geotrygon
montana) was captured on Key West in December, 1888, — the
first taken within the borders of North America.
ZENAIDA DOVE.
ZENAIDA ZENAIDA.
CuHar. Above, olive gray with a red tinge; top of head and under
parts purplish red; neck with metallic reflections; a black patch on
wing-coverts ; tail with terminal band of black tipped with white. Length
about to inches.
Vest. In low bush; a slight affair of fine twigs. The nests are some-
times placed on the sand and concealed by tufts of grass, and these
ground-nests are compactly built of leaves and grass.
Eggs. 2; white; 1.20 X 0.95.
This beautiful little species inhabits the Keys of Florida, but
is rare. Individuals have been found in the neighboring island
of Cuba. They keep much on the ground, where they dust
themselves and swallow gravel to assist digestion. When rising
on the wing, the same whistling noise is heard from the motion
of their wings, as is the case of the common Carolina Turtle
Dove.
MOURNING DOVE.
CAROLINA DOVE. TURTLE DOVE.
ZENAIDURA MACROURA.
CHAR. Male: above, grayish blue, the back washed with brownish
olive; sides of head and neck and breast purplish red; belly buffish;
sides of neck with metallic reflections; a black spot on the cheeks; tail
with bar of black, outer feathers broadly tipped with white. Female:
similar, but duller; breast brownish. Length about 12 inches.
Nest. Ina tree or bush or on fence rail or rock,—a mere platform
rudely made of twigs.
Leggs. 2-4 (usually 2); white; 1.15 X 0.85.
This almost familiar Pigeon in the course of the spring
leisurely migrates through the interior as far as to Canada,
though in the Eastern States it is rarely met with to the
north of Connecticut. Many appear sedentary in the warmer
States, where they breed as far south as Louisiana. They are
also said to inhabit the Antilles, and we saw them not uncom-
mon in the Territory of Oregon. In the warmer parts of the
Union they commence laying early in April, and in South
Carolina I heard their plaintive coo on the 29th of January ;
but at the extremity of their range they scarcely begin to
breed before the middle of May. They lay, as usual, two eggs,
of a pure white, and make their nest in the horizontal branches
of atree. It is formed of a mere layer of twigs so loosely and
slovenly put together as to appear scarcely sufficient to pre-
vent the young from falling out.
12 PIGEON TRIBE.
By the first fine days of the early Southern spring we hear
from.the budding trees of the forest, or the already blooming
thicket, the mournful call of the Carolina Turtle Dove, com-
mencing as it were with a low and plaintive sigh, a’gh cdo cdo
coo, Yepeated at impressive intervals of half a minute, and
heard distinctly to a considerable distance through the still
and balmy air of the reviving season. This sad but pleasing
note is also more distinguished at this time, as it seeks the
noon-day warmth in which to utter its complaint, and where it
is now heard without a rival.
The flight of this species is rapid and protracted, and, as
usual in the genus, accompanied by a very audible whistling
noise ; the birds fly out often in wide circles, but seldom rise
above the trees, and keep out near the skirt of the forest or
round the fences and fields, which they visit with considerable
familiarity, gleaning after the crop has been removed, and sel-
dom molesting the farmer except by now and then raising up a
few grains in sowing time, which may happen to be exposed too
temptingly to view. The usual food of this species is various
kinds of grain and small acorns, as well as the berries of the
holly, dogwood, poke, whortle, and partridge berries, with
other kinds according to the season.. In the nuptial period
the wide circling flight of the male is often repeated around
his mate, towards whom he glides with wings and tail expanded,
and gracefully alights on the same or some adjoining tree,
where she receives his attentions or fosters her eggs and infant
brood. On alighting, they spread out their flowing train in a
graceful attitude, accompanying the motion by a clucking and
balancing of the neck and head evincing the lively emotion
and mutual affection they cherish. When the female now con-
fines herself to her eggs, her constant mate is seen feeding her
with a delicate and assiduous attention.
The roosting places preferred by the Carolina Turtle Doves
are among the long and unshorn grass of neglected fields, in
the slight shelter of corn-stalks, or the borders of meadows ;
they also occasionally seek harbor among the rustling and fall-
ing leaves, and amidst the thick branches of various ever-
GROUND DOVE. 13
greens. But in every situation, even though in darkness, they
are so vigilant as to fly at the instant of approach. They do
not huddle together, but take up their rest in solitude, though
a whole flock may be in the same field; they also frequently
resort to the same roosting places, if not materially molested.
It is a hardy species, enduring considerable cold, and indi-
viduals remain even in the Middle as well as the Southern
States throughout the year. These birds are far less gregarious
and migratory than is the common Wild Pigeon. When their
food becomes scanty in the fields in the course of the winter,
they approach the farm, feeding among the poultry with the
Blackbirds, Sparrows, and other guests of the same accidental
bounty, and if allowed without reprisal, appear as gentle as
Domestic Doves. Raised from the nest, they are easily tamed,
and instances are known of their breeding in confinement.
Their flesh is also much esteemed, and by some considered as
scarcely inferior to that of the Snipe or Woodcock.
The Mourning Dove is a common summer resident of portions
of southern New England, and occurs sparingly northward to
New Brunswick. Mr. Mcllwraith reports it breeding sparingly
in southern Ontario.
GROUND DOVE.
COLUMBIGALLINA PASSERINA TERRESTRIS.
Cuar. Back and rump grayish olive, head and neck purplish red
glossed with blue, the feathers edged with grayish olive; wings like back,
but tinged with purple and spotted with steel blue; central tail-feathers
like back, outer feathers blackish with paler tips; lower parts purplish
red, the feathers of the breast streaked with grayish olive ; bill yellow,
tipped with black; feet yellow. Female and young paler, grayer, and
without the purple tints. Length 6% inches,
Nest. On a tree, usually on a low branch, but sometimes 15 to 20 feet
from the ground; little more than a platform of twigs.
Eggs. 2; dull white or creamy; 0.85 X 0.65.
The Ground Dove is an inhabitant of all the States of the
Union south of Virginia, and is met with also in the West
Indies. It is common in the sea islands of the Southern
14 PIGEON TRIBE.
States, particularly in South Carolina and Georgia, where it is
seen in small flocks of from fifteen to twenty. These birds
are found usually upon the ground, and prefer the open fields
and cultivated tracts to the woods; their flight is seldom pro-
tracted, as they fly out commonly only to short distances,
though on the approach of winter they retire to the islands
and milder parts of the continent, arriving again at their
northern resorts early in April. Like some other species, they
have a frequent jetting motion with the tail, and the usual
tender cooing and gesticulations of the tribe. They feed on
various seeds and berries, particularly on those of the tooth-
ache tree, near which they are frequently seen in the season.
They likewise feed on rice and other small grain, and become
easily tamed and reconciled to the cage; in this way they are
also occasionally fattened for the table, and are particularly
esteemed by the French planters.
The Ground Dove is still a common bird in the South, and
wanders occasionally as far north as the District of Columbia.
BLUE-HEADED QUAIL-DOVE.
STARNGENAS CYANOCEPHALA.
Cuar. Above, olive brown; crown rich blue, bordered by black; a
wide stripe of white from chin to back of neck; below, russet, the breast
tinged with purple; throat black, edged with white. Length 11 inches.
Nest. Ona tree or low bush; a platform of loosely arranged twigs.
Eggs. 1-2; white; 1.40 X 1.05.
This species was observed by Audubon on the island of
Key West early in May, — probably soon after its arrival from
Cuba, where it abounds. It is rarely to be seen, from its habit
of keeping on the ground and living among dense thickets.
These birds also inhabit Jamaica and Cuba, and in the latter
island they are commonly caught in traps, and brought to
market in great numbers, being esteemed as food. They
admit of being tamed, but when tame refuse to propagate.
The tail is carried downwards, as in the Partridge. They keep
in small bands, are chiefly seen on the ground, on which they
often squat, and do not roost on trees.
WILD TURKEY.
MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO.
Cuar. General plumage coppery bronze, with metallic reflections of
copper color, green, and purple, the feathers edged with rich black ; head
and neck naked, and of blue color studded with excrescences of purplish
red; tail dark chestnut, with bars and a broad subterminal band of black;
upper tail-coverts and tips of tail-feathers chestnut ; wings dusky, banded
by dull white. Male with a conspicuous tuft of bristles depending from
the breast. Female similar, but paler and duller Length about 48
inches.
Nest. Under a bush or amid thick undergrowth or tall weeds, or
beneath brush heap; a depression in the ground —natural or scratched
out — lined with leaves, grass, or feathers.
Eggs. 10-15 (usually 12); rich cream color or pale buff, spotted with
bright brown ; size variable, averaging about 2.50 X 1.80.
The Wild Turkey, once prevalent throughout the whole
continent of North America, from Mexico and the Antilles to
the forests of Lower Canada, is now, by the progress and den-
sity of population, chiefly confined to the thickly wooded and
uncultivated tracts of the Western States, being particularly
abundant in the unsettled parts of Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois,
Indiana, and throughout the vast forests of the great valleys of
the Mississippi and Missouri. On the banks of the latter
16 TURKEYS AND PHEASANTS.
river, however, where the woods disappear beyond the conflu-
ence of the Platte, the Turkey no longer appears; and the
feathers of the wings, for the purpose of pluming arrows, form
an article of small commerce between the other natives and
their Western countrymen. For a thousand miles up the
Arkansas and Red River, in the wooded alluvial lands, they
are not uncommon. They are met with in small numbers in
Tennessee, Alabama, and West Florida, and are also abundant
in Texas; but none have been found in the Rocky Mountains
or to the westward of them. From the Atlantic States gener-
ally they are now nearly extirpated. According to Audubon, a
few of these valuable birds are yet found in the States of New
York, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine.
The Wild Turkey is neither gregarious nor migratory, but
from the necessity of wandering after food; it is otherwise
resident throughout the whole of thé vast region it inhabits, °
including the greatest diversity of climate, and it is prolific in
proportion to its natural resources ; so that while in the United
States and Canada it only breeds once in the year, in Jamaica
and the other West India islands it is said to raise two or
three broods in the same period. In quest of mast, these
birds therefore spread themselves through the country and
insensibly assemble in considerable numbers to the district
where their food abounds. These movements are observed
to take place early in October. The males, or goddlers, as
they are often called, from their note, are now seen apart
from the other sex in companies varying from ten to a hun-
dred. The females move singly, or accompanied by their
almost independent brood, who all at first assiduously shun the
persecuting society of the selfish male. Yet after a while,
when their food proves abundant, separate mixed flocks of all
ages and sexes often promiscuously join in the bounteous
repast. Their migration — very unlike that of the rapid Pigeons
— is made almost entirely on foot until their progress is perhaps
arrested by a river. Their speed, however, is very consider-
able, and when surprised they more commonly trust to their
legs than their wings, running nearly with the velocity of a
WILD TURKEY. 17
hound. On meeting with an impediment of this kind, after
considerable delay they ascend to the tops of the tall trees,
and at the cluck of the leader they launch into the air for the
opposite shore. The transit is a matter of little difficulty,
though considerable labor, for the older birds ; but the younger
and less robust sometimes fall short of the bank, and are either
drowned or attain the land by swimming. After crossing, it is
remarked that they often become an easy prey to the hunter,
as they seem bewildered by the new country in which they
have arrived, or more probably are fatigued by the novelty and
extent of their excursion. After long journeys and privations,
particularly in frosty weather or while the ground is covered
with snow, they are sometimes reduced to the necessity of
making their appearance near farm-houses, where they now
and then even associate with the poultry and enter the stables
and cribs after grain. In this desultory and foraging manner
they spend the autumn and winter.
According to the latitude and the advancement of the sea-
son, though always very early in the spring, they begin to be
actuated by the instinct of propagation. The males commence
their gobbling and court the society of their retiring mates.
The sexes roost apart, but in the same vicinity, and at the yelp
of the female the gobbling becomes reiterated and extravagant.
If heard from the ground, a general rush ensues to the spot ;
and whether the hen appears or not, the males, thus acciden-
tally brought together, spread out their train, quiver and
depress their rigid wings, and strutting and puffing with a
pompous gait, often make battle, and directing their blows at
the head, occasionally destroy each other in a fit of jealousy.
As with our domestic fowls, several hens usually follow a favor-
ite cock, roosting in his immediate neighborhood until they
begin to lay, when they withdraw from his resort to save their
eggs, which he would destroy if discovered. The females are
therefore seen in his company only for a few hours in the day.
Soon after this period, however, the male loses his ardor, and
the advances of affection now become reversed, the hen seek-
ing out the society of her reluctant mate. In moonlight nights
VOL. 1. — 2
18 TURKEYS AND PHEASANTS.
the gobbling of the male is heard at intervals of a few minutes
for hours together, and affords often a gratifying means of their
discovery to the wakeful hunter. After this period the males
become lean and emaciated so as to be even unable to fly, and
seek to hide themselves from their mates in the closest thick-
ets, where they are seldom seen. They now also probably
undergo their moult, and are so dry, lean, and lousy, until the
ripening of the mast and berries, as to be almost wholly indi-
gestible and destitute of nutriment as food. So constant is
this impoverished state that the Indians have a proverb, “As
lean as a Turkey in summer.”
About the middle of April, in Kentucky, the hens begin to
provide for the reception of their eggs and secure their pros-
pects of incubation. The nest, merely a slight hollow scratched
in the ground and lined with withered leaves, is made by the
side of a fallen log or beneath the shelter of a thicket ina
dry place. The eggs, from 10 to 15, are whitish, covered with
red dots and measuring two and seven eighths inches in length
by two in breadth, and rather pointed. While laying, the
female, like the domestic bird, always approaches the nest with
great caution, varying the course at almost every visit and
often concealing her eggs entirely by covering them with
leaves. Trusting to the similarity of her homely garb with the
withered foliage around her, the hen, as with several other
birds, on being carefully approached sits close without mov-
ing. She seldom indeed abandons her nest, and her attach-
ment increases with the growing life of her charge. The
domestic bird has been known, not unfrequently, to sit stead-
fastly on her eggs until she died of hunger. As soon as the
young have emerged from the shell and begun to run about,
the parent by her cluck calls them around her and watches
with redoubled suspicion the approach of their enemies, which
she can perceive at an almost inconceivable distance. To
avoid moisture, which might prove fatal to them, they now
keep on the higher sheltered knolls; and in about a fortnight,
instead of roosting on the ground, they begin to fly at night to
some wide and low branch, where they still continue to nestle
WILD TURKEY. 19
under the extended wings of their protecting parent. At
length they resort during the day to more open tracts or
prairies, in quest of berries of various kinds, as well as grass-
hoppers and other insects. The old birds are very partial to
pecan nuts, winter grapes, and other kinds of fruits. They also
eat buds, herbs, grain, and large insects; but their most gen-
eral and important fare is acorns, after which they make exten-
sive migrations. By the month of August the young are nearly
independent of their parent, and become enabled to attain a
safe roost in the higher branches of the trees. The young
cocks now show the tuft of hair upon the breast and begin to
strut and gobble, and the young hens already purr and leap.
One of the most crafty enemies which the Wild Turkey has
to encounter is the lynx, or wild-cat, who frequently seizes his
prey by advancing round and waiting its approach in ambush.
Like most other Gallinaceous birds, these Turkeys are fond
of wallowing on the ground and dusting themselves. When
approached by moonlight, they are readily shot from their
roosting-tree, one after another, without any apprehension
of their danger, though they would dodge or fly instantly
at the sight of the Owl. The Gobblers, during the season of
their amorous excitement, have been known even to strut over
their dead companions while on the ground, instead of seek-
ing their own safety by flight.
In the spring the male Turkeys are called by a whistle made
of the second joint-bone of the wing of the bird, which pro-
duces a sound somewhat similar to the voice of the female ;
and on coming up to this call they are consequently shot.
They are likewise commonly caught in quadrangular pens
made of logs crossing each other, from which is cut a slanting
covered passage sufficient to allow the entrance of the Turkey.
Corn is then scattered in a train to this cage for some distance
as well as within; and the neighboring birds in the surround-
ing woods having discovered the grain, call on each other by a
clucking, and entering one at a time, they become secured in
the pen, as, for the purpose of escape, they constantly direct
their view upwards instead of stooping to go out by the path
. which they had entered.
20 TURKEYS AND PHEASANTS.
The male Wild Turkey weighs commonly from 15 to 18
pounds, is not unfrequently as much as 25, and sometimes,
according to Audubon, even 36. The hen commonly weighs
about 9 pounds, and the usual price for a Turkey from the
Indians is 25 cents. The domestic bird, when irritated by the
sight of any remarkable object, struts out with expanded tail,
and drooping his stiffened wings, swells out his wattles, which
become red and turgid, and advancing with a grave and
haughty air, utters a humming sound, now and then accompa-
nied by a harsh and dissonant 7k, orook, orook, repeating it
at every whistle or unusua] sound that strikes his ear. The
exhibition of a red rag is also sure to excite his wrath and
induce him to rush with stupid temerity at the disagreeable
object which he exerts himself to injure or destroy. A whole
flock sometimes will unite in chasing a common cock from the
poultry yard in consequence merely of some whimsical antip-
athy. From these singular dislikes, this cowardice and folly,
the Turkey bears in France the same proverbal imputation of
stupidity which in England is bestowed on the Goose. The
feathers of the wild bird, attached to strips of bass, were
anciently employed by the aborigines for tippets and cloaks,
and were so arranged that the brilliant surface formed the
outside of the dress; and in later times similar dresses have
also been made by the Cherokees.
The Turkey was first sent from Mexico to Spain in the six-
teenth century, and in the reign of Henry VIII., in the year
1524, it was introduced into England, and soon after into
France and other portions of Europe.
_ Since Nuttall wrote, this famous bird has become extinct in the
New England States, as well as in Canada. Very early in colonial
days it had disappeared from the Province of Quebec, for at the
height of its abundance this bird was found only within a limited
area along the valley of the Ottawa, in the vicinity of the Chaudiére
Falls, — if I correctly interpret the words of Pierre Bouche, who
was governor of the Province in 1663. By some chance several
small flocks survived to a much later date in Ontario. MclIlwraith
reports that it was numerous along the southern border as late as
1856, and he thinks a few still remain.
WILD TURKEY. 21
In New England, as in Quebec, the early settlers made havoc
with the flocks, and drove into the wilderness those they did not
destroy. John Josselyn, writing in 1672, states that the bird was
becoming rare, while thirty years before it had been abundant; but
probably Turkeys were plentiful during part, at least, of the last
century, though frequenting less accessible localities. They were,
however, being gradually reduced in numbers by the combined
attacks of the whites and Indians, and the lessened flocks contin-
ued retiring farther and farther from the settlements.
In Connecticut the year 1813 is given as that in which the last
example was seen, while a few remained hidden among the hills of
southern Vermont until 1842; and the last Wild Turkey that is
known to have been seen in Massachusetts was shot on Mount
Tom in 1847.
At the present day some small flocks are to be found in a few of
the heavily timbered and thinly populated districts of Michigan,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and in the wild moun-
tainous regions of the Southern States. A few may be hidden also
in isolated forests in Louisiana and Mississippi; but in all of these
States the number of birds must be small, and is being rapidly
reduced. Probably nowhere east of the Mississippi River are
Turkeys at all numerous, excepting in Florida, and in that State
they may continue numerous long after they have been extermi-
nated elsewhere, owing to the almost inaccessible nature of the
country to which the remaining flocks have retreated. Beyond
the Mississippi these birds are still common, especially along the
lower Rio Grande and (probably) in Indian Territory and southern
Missouri, though Colonel Goss reports them diminishing rapidly in
Kansas.
Farther west, Wild Turkeys are plentiful; but the major portion
of these are of the Mexican form, which differs from the type prin-
cipally in having the upper tail-coverts and the tips of the tail-
feathers whitish instead of chestnut.
Note. — The Florida Wild Turkey (4%. g. osceola) has lately
been separated from true ga//opavo, being smaller and with “ broken
white markings ” on the wings.
22 TURKEYS AND PHEASANTS.
ENGLISH PHEASANT.
PHASIANUS COLCHICUS.
CHAR. Male: plumage exquisitely beautiful, but too variegated to be
minutely described in a short paragraph. The principal colors are brown
of several shades, orange-red, yellow, and black ; and these are distributed
in handsome markings and pencillings. Head and neck steel blue, with
metallic reflections of green and purple; breast golden red, each feather
edged with velvet black ; tail-feathers very long, — the two middle feathers
sometimes measuring two feet, — yellowish brown, with narrow bars of
black. Female: duller; yellowish brown, with markings of darker brown
and some black. Length of male, including tail-feathers, about 3 feet; of
female about 2 feet.
Nest. In thicket or dense hedge, a slight hollow scratched out by
female, partially lined with loosely arranged leaves and grass. Occa-
sionally a deserted nest in a tree has been used.
Leggs. 8-14 (usually about 12, sometimes 16 or 20), olive brown, some-
times bluish green ; 1.85 X 1.45.
I have called this the “ English ” Pheasant to distinguish it from
other species that have been introduced into this country. In
England it is known as “ Pheasant,” or “Common Pheasant.”
It is not indigenous to Great Britain, though when it was intro-
duced there is not known, some writers asserting that it was
carried by the Romans, while others consider the Norman Con-
quest responsible for its introduction. The true home of the bird
is the valleys of the Caucasus and the eastern shores of the Cas-
pian Sea, but it has been introduced into almost every country of
Europe. In Great Britain very few thorough-bred specimens are
to be found, most of the birds displaying a collar of white, — which
proves their relationship to the Ring-necked Pheasants brought
from China. Other species, as well, have been introduced and suc-
cessfully bred with both true codchzcus and hybrids.
Within a few years the present species has been introduced into
this country by Mr. C. B. Cory—who loosed several pairs on
Great Island, off the southern shore of Cape Cod —and by a club
of sportsmen who have stocked Jekyl Island, on the Georgian
coast. Both colonies have become naturalized and are increasing.
Several other species have been imported from China and Japan,
and liberated in Oregon and British Columbia, where they are
increasing rapidly.
= SUNY
WES
BOB-WHITE.
QUAIL. PARTRIDGE.
COLINUS VIRGINIANUS.
Cuar. Above, reddish brown, mottled with gray, black, white, and
buff ; stripe over eyes and patch on throat white or buffy white, dark-
est in females ; lower parts buffy white with brown and black markings.
Length about ro inches.
Vest. In pasture or field, hid amid thick growth or under a bush or tuft
of long grass ; made of grass, weeds, and leaves loosely arranged.
Eggs. 8-20 (usually 15 to 18, and a set of 28 has been recorded); white ;
1.20 X 1.00.
The Partridge of America, exceedingly prolific, has extended
its colonies from the inclement coasts of New England and the
western plains of Missouri to the mild latitudes of Mexico and
Honduras. In Jamaica, where it has long been introduced
and naturalized, the inhabitants distinguish it as the Partridge,
—an appellation sufficiently prevalent in various parts of the
United States. At the north, these birds are rarely seen to the
24 GROUSE FAMILY.
extremity of New Hampshire, and this limit, no doubt, is deter-
mined by the length and severity of the winters which prevail
in this rigorous climate. They seldom migrate, except to short
distances in quest of food, and consequently often perish
beneath deep drifts of snow, so that their existence is rendered
impossible in the Arctic winters of our high latitudes. Indeed,
sometimes they have been so thinned in this part of the coun-
try that sportsmen acquainted with their local attachments
have been known to introduce them into places for breeding
and to prevent their threatened extermination. So sedentary
are the habits of this interesting bird that until the flock is
wholly routed by the unfeeling hunter they continue faithfully
attached to the neighborhood of the spot where they have been
raised and supported.
Johnston, Willoughby, and Ray distinguished the Mexican
bird by the quaint title of the “Quail’s Image.’ The first
settlers of New England also thought they saw in this familiar
bird the Quail of the country they had relinquished. The
two birds are, however, too different to require any critical
comparison. Ours is even justly considered by European
ornithologists as the type of a peculiar American genus, to
which has been given the name of Ortyx by Stevens, — the
original appellation of the Quail, or Verdix coturnix, as known
to the ancient Greeks. The name of CoLin, contracted by
Buffon from the barbarous appellation of some Mexican spe-
cies, has been adopted by Cuvier, Temminck, and Vieillot.
Although there is some general resemblance between the
Quail of the old and new continent in their external appearance,
their habits and instincts are exceedingly different. The true
Quail is a noted bird of passage, with a favorable wind leaving
Europe for the warmer parts of Asia at the approach of winter ;
and with an auspicious gale again returning in the spring, in
such amazing numbers that some of the islands of the Archi-
pelago derived their name from their abundant visits. On the
west coast of Naples, within the small space of four or five miles
as many as a hundred thousand have been taken in a day by
nets. Our Partridge, though occupying so wide an extent of the
BOB-WHITE. as
Atlantic and Western States, and even penetrating into Mexico,
is scarcely ever a bird of passage ; it only assembles in single
families, which may sometimes be reduced to four or five by
accidents, and at others increased to twenty or thirty. The
instinctive sociability of this bird continues uniformly, until
interrupted in the spring by the desire of pairing. At this
season the eager call of the male is often heard, but it nearly
ceases when he is mated, and is only long continued by those
who are dissatisfied and have been unsuccessful in their con-
nections; and by imitating the reply of the female, the male
is easily decoyed to approach towards the enemy who thus
allures him. On these occasions, when the rival candidates
happen to meet, they exhibit, the only time in their lives, a
quarrelsome disposition, fighting with obstinacy, until the con-
tented victor at last gains the field with his submissive mate.
The conjugal selection being now concluded, they are not
exceeded by any of the feathered race in their mutual attach-
ment and common affection for their brood. In the vagrant
Quail, the want of reciprocal and durable attachment gives rise
to a wholly different character in instinctive morality, a com-
mon concubinage prevailing among them, as with our Cow
Troopials. Instead of the mild sociability so prevalent with
our Partridge, they are pugnacious to a proverb: ‘As quarrel-
some as Quails in a cage,’’ was an ancient reproof to striving
children. Their selfishness forbids all mutual alliance, and they
only find safety from each other in roaming solitude.
Partridges are not partial to the depths of the forest, though
they sometimes seek the shelter of trees, and perch on the
low branches or hide amongst the brush and underwood.
Their favorite food, however, commonly conducts them to
the open fields, where they glean up various kinds of grain,
and are particularly fond of rye and buckwheat, as well as
Indian corn; and when not too much disturbed by the sports-
man, will often, particularly in the autumn and winter, fearlessly
assemble along the most public roads, or around the barn
and stable, in search of a scanty pittance among the domes-
tic fowls; like them, also, very industriously scratching up
26 GROUSE FAMILY.
straw, and probably the ground, in quest of grain and insects
which, with seeds and various kinds of buds and berries, as
well as broken acorns, according to the season, often consti-
tute a considerable part of their native diet.
Remaining with us commonly the whole year, the little social
band often suffer from the inclemency of the seasons. At
this time they perch together on some rising ground beneath
the shelter of brush or briers, and forming a close circle, with
their heads outward to discern any approach of danger, they
thus greatly aid each other by their mutual warmth to resist the
chilling effects of frost. It is probable, however, they have no
great fear of snow when together, as they may often be seen
patiently encountering the storm, as its white wreaths invade
them, and frequently on the arrival of a thaw, unfortunate
coveys, suspecting no danger, are found buried beneath the
inundating waste, huddled together in their accustomed man-
ner. ‘They are observed even, on the approach of danger,
to rush into the snow for shelter; and it is only when the drift
becomes so consolidated by a frozen glazing of sleet as to
resist all their efforts to move that it proves their grave, rather
than their retreat.
As they happen to afford a favorite and delicate article of
food, every means which gun and trap can effect are put in
operation against the innocent race. Their very sociability
often affords means for their destruction; for while crowded
together in a ring, a dozen or more have been killed at a shot ;
and the small remains of the unfortunate covey, feeling their
weakness and solitude, are said to join some neighboring brood,
for whom they soon form the same friendly attachment they had
for the fraternity they have lost.
From the latter end of August to the month of March, the
markets of all our principal cities are often stocked with this
favorite game.
Some time in the month of May the Quail, at the bottom of
a sheltering tuft of grass, scratches out a cavity for her nest,
which is usually lined substantially with such withered leaves
and dry grass as happen to be convenient. Though generally
BOB-WHITE. 27
open, it is sometimes partially covered by art and accident ;
but no studious concealment is ever practised by this artless
bird. The eggs are from 15 to 20; and unlike the spotted
charge of the true Quail, are white, and rather suddenly nar-
rowed at the smaller end. The period of incubation is about
four weeks. They have generally two broods in a season, as
young birds scarcely fledged may be observed here as late as
the beginning of October. When this happens, it is not
uncommon to find both coveys still associating with their par-
ents. Like most other Gallinaceous birds, the young run about
as soon as they are freed from the shell, and gain the complete
use of their wings in about a fortnight from hatching. They
are now attentively conducted by the mother, and occasionally
by either parent, in quest of their appropriate food, and called
together in a voice resembling the low twittering of chickens.
At times they shelter beneath the wings of the mother; but if
the little busy flock are startled by danger, artifice rather than
courage is the instinctive means of safety employed by all
the party. The parents flutter in the path in real as well as
simulated distress ; and the young, instantly aware of their criti-
cal situation, make no useless attempts to fly, but vanish singly,
and closely hiding among the withered grass, which they almost
resemble in color, are thus fortunately rendered nearly alto-
gether invisible. The alarm at length dissipated, the tender,
cautious call of the parents again reassembles the little grateful
family.
The eggs of the Quail have been often hatched by the
domestic hen; but the vagrant disposition of the diminutive
brood, the difficulty of procuring their proper food, and the
superior attention they require over chickens, prevent the possi-
bility of their domestication ; and even when they have survived
the winter in this state, the return of spring leads them to
wander off in compliance with that powerful instinct which
inspires them to a mutual separation.
So familiar are these little birds that occasionally, as de-
scribed by Wilson, they have been known to lay their eggs in
the nest of the domestic hen, when situated at any considerable
28 GROUSE FAMILY.
distance from the habitation. From two eggs thus deposited
were raised a pair of young Quails which, when abandoned by
the hen, showed their social attachment by accompanying the
cows. ‘These they followed night and morning from the pas-
ture, and when the cattle were housed for the winter our little
Partridges took up their humble abode in the stable. But
even these, so docile, and separated from all their race, on the
return of spring obeyed the instinct of nature, and wandered
away to their congenial woods and thickets. It is probable at
times, as asserted by observers, that our Quails, like some
other birds, lay their eggs in the nests of each other, —a fact
which would only be in accordance with their usual friendship
and mutual familiarity.
The American Quail, according to Wilson, has likewise, in
turn, been employed to hatch the eggs of the domestic hen,
which she brought out, defended, and fed as her own offspring.
She even succeeded in imparting to them a portion of her own
instinct to such a degree that when alarmed they hid in the
grass and ran timidly from sight like so many young Par-
tridges, exhibiting all the wildness of unreclaimed birds. A flock
of these Quails, however attentively fed, and confined, always
exhibit a great degree of fear and shyness; their attachments
remaining truly natural, they appear only to recognize the com-
pany of each other. But a solitary individual becomes friendly
and familiar to the hand that feeds it, and for want of more
congenial society forms a similar attachment to its keeper.
In the month of September, the little brood, now nearly full
grown, assemble in families; and at this period, as well as
in the spring and early part of summer, the clear, whistling
call of the male is often heard. This well-known note is
very similar to the pronunciation of the words ’40d white,
to which is often added a suppressed introductory whistle.
While seated, perhaps on a fence-rail, or the low limb of an
orchard tree, this peculiar note, sometimes interpreted in
showery hay-weather into the augury of more wét, more wet,
continues uninterruptedly, at short intervals, for more than
half an hour at a time. Du Pratz says these birds are known
BOB-WHITE. 29
to the aborigines by the name of ho-ouy (’ho-wee), which is
also imitative of the call they sometimes utter, as I have
heard, early in the morning, from a partly domesticated covey.
When assembled in a corner and about to take wing, the
same low, chicken-like twittering, as is employed by the
mother towards her more tender brood, is repeated; but
when dispersed, by necessary occupation, or alarm, they are
reassembled by a loud and oft-repeated call of anxious
and social inquiry. This note, ’o-wee, is, however, so strongly
instinctive as to be commonly uttered without occasion, by
the male even in a cage, surrounded by his kindred brood ;
so that this expression, at stated times, is only one of gen-
eral sympathy and satisfaction, like that of a singing bird
uttered when solitary and confined to a cage.
In consequence of the shortness and concavity of its wings,
in common with most other birds of the same family the Ameri-
can Quail usually makes a loud whirring noise in its flight,
which is seldom long continued, always laborious, and generally
so steady as to afford no difficult mark for the expert sports-
man. According to the observations of Audubon, the flight of
our Partridge and Grouse, when not hurried by alarm, is
attended with very little more noise than that of other birds.
Whatever may be the fact, when our little Partridges alight on
the ground, they often run out to very considerable distances,
when not directly flushed, and endeavor to gain the shelter of
briers and low bushes, or instinctively squat among the fallen
leaves of the woods, from which, with their brown livery, it is
difficult to distinguish them. No great destruction is made
among them while on the wing, as they do not take a general
alarm on being approached, but rise at intervals only by two
or three at a time.
Bob-White has been so long and so persistently called by this
nickname that that conservative body, the American Ornithologists’
Union, has been constrained to approve of it, and has dignified
it with their sanction, — throwing to the winds for one brief mo-
ment the “canon of priority,” and adopting Seebohm’s favorite
auctorum plurimorum. The bird is also known as “Quail” in
30 GROUSE FAMILY.
New England, and as “ Partridge” farther south. Bob-White is
still a common bird in southern New England, though of some-
what local distribution. It is rarely found north of Massachusetts,
but a few scattered flocks are occasionally met with along the
southern borders of the three northern States.
In Canada it occurs only in the southern peninsula of Ontario
north to Gravenhurst, and though quite common near London and
Hamilton, is reported “rare” about Toronto and Lucknow.
Note. — The FLoripa BOB-WHITE (Colinus virginianus flort-
d@anus) is a smaller race with darker colors and broader black mark-
ings. It is found in the northern and middle regions of Florida.
The CuBAN BOB-WHITE (C. virginianus cubanensis) differs
chiefly from the type in the markings of the plumage. It is
restricted in the United States to the southwestern or tropical
region of Florida.
The MESSINA QUAIL (Coturntx coturnix) has been imported
from Europe by hundreds during the last fifteen years and let loose
in various parts of the country; but though a few young and old
birds appeared in the neighborhood for a year or two following
their release, the effort to naturalize the species is considered a
failure. In 1878 a number were released near St. Stephen, New
Brunswick, and during the next three years I heard occasionally
of small bevies being seen near the Bay of Fundy shore between
St. Stephen and St. John, as well as in the Kennebecasis valley as
far east as Sussex; but either the climate or the food was unsuited
to them.
RUFFED GROUSE.
PHEASANT. PARTRIDGE. BIRCH PARTRIDGE.
BoNnaSA UMBELLUS.
Cuar. Upper parts mottled brown and gray, with markings of black
and dull white; head with crest; a “ruff” of long black feathers on sides
of neck; tail with broad sub-terminal band of black; under_parts pale
tawny, throat unmarked, breast and belly barred with brown; legs com-
pletely covered with feathers. Length 16 to 18 inches.
Nest. Amid a thicket or under cover of a bush, — usually on border of
heavy timber; a mere cushion of leaves, grass, moss, etc.
Eggs. 6-20 (usually ro or 12); color varies from pale cream to dark
buff, often marked with faint spots of brown; 1.60 X 1.15,
RUFFED GROUSE. 31
This beautiful species of Grouse, known by the name of
Pheasant in the Middle and Western States, and by that of
Lartridge in New England, is found to inhabit the continent
from Hudson Bay and the parallel of 56° to Georgia, but
are most abundant in the Northern and Middle States, where
they often prefer the most elevated and wooded districts ;
and at the South they affect the mountainous ranges and
valleys which border upon or lie within the chains of the
Alleghanies. They are also prevalent in the Western States
as far as the line of the Territory of Mississippi; and though
not found on the great Western plains, they reappear in the
forests of the Rocky Mountains and follow the Columbia
nearly to the Pacific.
Although, properly speaking, sedentary, yet at the approach
of autumn, according to Audubon, they make, in common with
the following species, partial migrations by single families in
quest of a supply of food, and sometimes even cross the Ohio
in the course of their peregrinations. In the northern parts of
New England they appear also to be partially migratory at the
approach of winter, and leave the hills for lower and more
sheltered situations. So prompt, indeed, at times are their
movements that in November, 1831, in travelling nearly to
the extremity of New Hampshire, not a single bird of the
species was now to be seen, as they had no doubt migrated
southward with the first threatening and untimely snow which
had fallen, being indeed so unusually abundant previously to
that period as to sell in the market of Boston as low as twelve
and a half cents apiece. Although elevated countries and
rocky situations thickly overgrown with bushes and dense ever-
greens by rivers and brooks are their chosen situations, yet at
times they frequent the lowlands and more open pine-forests
in the vicinity of our Northern towns and cities, and are even
occasionally content to seek a retreat far from their favorite
hills in the depth of a Kentucky cane-brake or the barrens of
New Jersey. They are somewhat abundant in the shrubby
oak-barrens of Kentucky and Tennessee, in which their food
abounds. This consists commonly in the spring and fall of
32 GROUSE FAMILY.
the buds of trees, the catkins of the hazel and alder, even
fern-buds, acorns, and seeds of various kinds, among which I
have met with the capsules, including the seeds of the com-
mon small Canadian Cistus (Helianthemum). At times I
have seen the crop almost entirely filled with the buds of the
apple-tree, each connected with a portion of the twig, the
wood of which appears to remain a good while undigested ;
cinguefoil and strawberry-leaves, buds of the Azaleas and of
the broad-leaved Kalmia, with the favorite partridge-berries
(Gaultheria procumbens), ivy-berries (Cissus hederacea), and
gravel pebbles are also some of the many articles which form
the winter fare of our bird. In summer it seems often to
prefer berries of various kinds, particularly dewberries, straw-
berries, grapes, and whortleberries.
In the month of April the Ruffed Grouse begins to be recog-
nized by his peculiar drumming, heard soon after dawn and
towards the close of evening. At length, as the season of pair-
ing approaches, it is heard louder and more frequent till a later
hour of the day, and commences again towards the close of
the afternoon. ‘This sonorous, crepitating sound, strongly
resembling a low peal of distant thunder, is produced by the
male, who as a preliminary to the operation stands upright on
a prostrate log, parading with erected tail and ruff and with
drooping wings in the manner of the Turkey. After swelling
out his feathers and strutting forth for a few moments, at a
sudden impulse, like the motions of a crowing Cock, he draws
down his elevated plumes, and stretching himself forward,
loudly beats his sides with his wings with such an accelerating
motion, after the first few strokes, as to cause the tremor
described, which may be heard reverberating in a still morning
to the distance of from a quarter to that of half a mile, This
curious signal is repeated at intervals of about six or eight
minutes. The same sound is also heard in autumn as well as
spring, and given by the caged bird as well as the free, being,
at times, merely an instinctive expression of hilarity and vigor.
To this parading ground, regularly resorted to by the male for
the season, if undisturbed, the female flies with alacrity ; but,
RUFFED GROUSE. as
as with other species of the genus, no lasting individual attach-
ment is formed, and they live in a state of limited concubi-
nage. The drumming parade of the male is likewise often the
signal for a quarrel; and when they happen to meet each
other in the vicinity of their usual and stated walks, obstinate
battles, like those of our domestic fowls for the sovereignty of
the dung-hill, but too commonly succeed. When this sound,
indeed (according to Audubon), is imitated by striking care-
fully upon an inflated bladder with a stick, the jealous male,
full of anger, rushes forth from his concealment and falls an
easy prey to the wily sportsman.
Some time in May a female selects some thicket or the
side of a fallen log in the dense part of the woods for the situ-
ation of her nest. ‘This is formed merely of a handful of with-
ered leaves collected from the surrounding and similar surface
of the ground. The eggs, ten to fifteen, more or less, are of a
uniform dull yellowish color. The young run about as soon as
hatched, and in about a week or ten days are able in some
degree to make use of their wings. The mother now leads
them out in search of their appropriate and delicate food, and
broods them at night beneath her wings like the common
hen; she likewise defends them by every stratagem which
affection can contrive. On the appearance of an enemy she
simulates lameness, to impose on the unwelcome spectator ;
while the young themselves squat on the ground, by which they
are secured, from their similarity to its surface.
During summer these birds are fond of basking and dusting
themselves, and for this purpose are now and then seen in the
public roads. When flushed, and on the instant of rising from
the ground, the bird usually utters a cackling note quickly
repeated about half a dozen times, and also before rising utters
a very peculiar lisping whistle. Like the Ptarmigan, the Ruffed
Grouse when alarmed in winter is frequently known to plunge
into the soft snow and burrow out at such a distance as fre-
quently to elude the pursuit of the hunter. Besides other
successful methods of destruction which await the devoted
Grouse, snares and traps of various kinds are employed to
VOL. I. —3
34 GROUSE FAMILY.
arrest them. They are even smoked to death in the same
manner as the Wild Pigeons in the Western country, while
sleeping harmlessly and unsuspectingly on their leafy roosts.
By this system of indiscriminate extirpation they are now
greatly thinned throughout the more populous parts of the
Union, and sell in Philadelphia and New York from seventy-
five cents to a dollar apiece. The common price of these
birds (decidedly, as I think with Audubon, superior in flavor
to the Pinnated Grouse) is in the market of Boston from 40
to 50 cents the pair, showing how much more abundant the
species is in the rocky regions of New England than in any
other part of America. Deleterious effects have sometimes
occurred from eating this game, supposed to arise from their
feeding on the buds of the broad-leaved Kalmia; yet most
persons eat them with safety at all seasons of the year, even
when these kind of buds have been found almost filling the
stomach.
The systematists have recently separated the Ruffed Grouse dis-
tributed over the Northern and Middle States and the more southern
sections of Canada from those found along the northern border
of New England and in the adjacent portions of Canada, making
the latter a sub-species and giving to it the name of CANADIAN
RUFFED GROUSE (&. umbellus togata).
The Canadian race is in general darker colored, and lacks a
reddish tinge on the back; also the markings of the under parts
are more conspicuous.
The range of true wdellus is from Vermont to Virginia and
the hills of Georgia, and west to Minnesota.
“ Birch Partridges,” as they are commonly called by the gunners
of northern Maine and the Maritime Provinces, are still fairly
abundant, though the markets have been generously supplied with
them every year.
PRAIRIE HEN.
PRAIRIE CHICKEN. PINNATED GROUSE.
TYMPANUCHUS AMERICANUS.
Cuar. Above, brownish ochraceous, tinged with gray; back barred
with black; below, white, barred with dusky brown; throat buffish; head
with slight crest; erectile tufts of 7 to 10 long stiff feathers on sides of
neck, and below these, patches of bare and elastic skin. Length about 18
inches.
Nest. On the open prairie amid tufts of long grass or at the foot of a
bush; a slight hollow scratched out and thinly lined with grass and
feathers.
£ggs. 8-16 (usually about 12); dull buff or greenish yellow, some-
times with a reddish tinge, and occasionally spotted slightly with brown;
1.70 X 1.25.
Choosing particular districts for residence, the Grouse, or
Prairie Hen, is consequently by far less common than the pre-
ceding species. Confined to dry, barren, and bushy tracts of
small extent, these birds are in several places now wholly or
nearly exterminated. Along the Atlantic coast they are still
met with on the Grouse plains of New Jersey, on the brushy
plains of Long Island, in similar shrubby barrens in Westford,
Connecticut, in the island of Martha’s Vineyard on the south
side of Massachusetts Bay, and formerly, as probably in many
other tracts, according to the information which I have re-
ceived from Lieut.-Governor Winthrop, they were so common
on the ancient bushy site of the city of Boston that laboring
people or servants stipulated with their employers not to have
the Heath Hen brought to table oftener than a few times in the
36 GROUSE FAMILY.
week. According to Wilson, they are also still met with among
the scrub-oak and pine-hills of Pocono, in Northampton
county, Pennsylvania. They are also rather common through-
out the barrens of Kentucky and on the prairies of Indiana,
and as far south as Nashville in Tennessee, but I believe no-
where more abundant than on the plains of Missouri, whence
they continue to the Rocky Mountains. Dislike of moisture,
as with the Turkey, but principally the nature of their food,
appears to influence them in the choice of their resort. The
small acorns of the dwarf-oaks, and various kinds of ~ild fruits,
as strawberries, whortleberries, and partridge-berries, with oc-
casional insects abounding in these wooded thickets, appear
to be the principal inducement to their residence ; from which
they rarely wander at any season, unless compelled by a failure
of their usual food, and so become, notwithstanding the almost
inaccessible nature of the ground, a sure prey to the greedy
and exterminating hunter. In the Western States, where they
appear as an abundant species, they are at times observed to
traverse the plains and even cross extensive rivers in quest of
the means of subsistence. In winter they likewise feed on
buds as well as mast, sometimes swallowing leaves, and occa-
sionally the buds of the pine. At times, if convenient, they
have been known to visit the buckwheat field for their fare,
or even devour the leaves of clover. In wintry storms they
seek shelter by perching in the evergreens; but in spring and
summer they often roost on the ground in company. They
feed mostly in the morning and evening; and when they can
stir abroad without material molestation, they often visit arable
lands in the vicinity of their retreats. In the inclemency of
winter, like the Quail, they approach the barn, basking and
perching on the fences, occasionally venturing to mix with the
poultry in their repast, and are then often taken in traps.
The'season for pairing is early in the spring, in March or
April. At this time the behavior of the male becomes remark-
able. Early in the morning he comes forth from his bushy
roost and struts about with a curving neck, raising his ruff, ex-
vanding his tail like a fan, and seeming to mimic the ostenta-
PRAIRIE HEN, 37
tion of the Turkey. He now seeks out or meets his rival, and
several pairs at a time, as soon as they become visible through
the dusky dawn, are seen preparing for combat. Previously to
this rencontre, the male, swelling out his throat, utters what is
called a éooting, —a ventriloquial, humming call on the female,
three times repeated ; and though uttered in so low a key, it
may yet be heard three or four miles in a still morning. About
the close of March in the plains of Missouri we heard this
species of Grouse tooting or humming in all directions, so that
at a distance the sound might be taken almost for the grunting
of the bison or the loud croak of the bull-frog. While utter-
ing his vehement call, the male expands his neck-pouches to
such a magnitude as almost to conceal his head, and blowing,
utters, a low drumming bellow like the sound of ’2’-tom-boo,
’k'-tom-boo, once or twice repeated, after which is heard a sort
of guttural squeaking crow or kodk, koak, koak. In the inter-
vals of feeding we sometimes hear the male also cackling, or
as it were crowing like ’ko ko ko ko, kooh kooh. While en-
gaged in fighting with each other, the males are heard to utter
a rapid, petulant cackle, something in sound like excessive
laughter. The tooting is heard from before daybreak till
eight or nine o’clock in the morning. As they frequently as-
semble at these scvatching-places, as they are called, ambus-
cades of bushes are formed round them, and many are shot
from these coverts.
The female carefully conceals her nest in some grassy tus-
sock on the ground, and is but seldom discovered. The eggs
are from ten to twelve, and of a plain brownish color. The
young are protected and attended by the female only, who
broods them under her wings in the manner of the common
fowl, and leads them to places suitable for their food, some-
times venturing with her tender charge to glean along the
public paths. When thus surprised, the young dart into the
neighboring bushes, and there skulk for safety, while the wily
parent beguiles the spectator with her artful pretences of
lameness. The affectionate parent and her brood thus keep
together throughout the whole season. By the aid of a dog
38 GROUSE FAMILY.
they are easily hunted out, and are readily set, as they are
not usually inclined to take wing. In the prairies, however,
they not unfrequently rise to the low boughs of trees, and
then, staring about without much alarm, they become an easy
prey to the marksman.
The ordinary weight of a full-grown bird is about three
pounds, and they now sell, when they are to be had, in New
York and Boston, from three to five dollars the pair. They
have been raised under the common hen, but prove so
vagrant as to hold out no prospect of domestication.
This species is common now only in the prairie region of Indi-
ana and Illinois and westward; a few scattered flocks occur in the
adjacent States and in southwestern Ontario.
It is supposed that the Pinnated Grouse, which occurred in the
Atlantic States in Nuttall’s day, should be referred to the Heath
Hen, — a distinct race, a remnant of which is still found on Mar-
tha’s Vineyard.
HEATH HEN.
TYMPANUCHUS CUPIDO.
CuHar. Similar to the Prairie Hen, but reddish brown above, and
beneath rusty white, barred with dark reddish brown ; neck tufts composed
of four or five acutely lance-pointed feathers.
Nest. In woodland of scrub-oak or pine; a slight hollow, thinly lined
with leaves and feathers.
Eggs. 6-8; yellowish green and unspotted ; 1.70 X 1.25.
This interesting bird was discovered in 1885 by Mr. William
Brewster; or rather, to be more exact, at that date the discovery
was made that the birds of Martha’s Vineyard were distinct from
the Western Prairie Hen,— distinct in coloration as well as in
habits, — the one being a bird of the open prairie, the other haunt-
ing groves of scrub-oak or low pines, and feeding largely on acorns.
Mr. Brewster tells us (“ Auk,” January, 1885) that the bird is
common on Martha’s Vineyard, and is so well protected as not
likely to become extinct.
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE.
PRAIRIE CHICKEN.
PEDIOCETES PHASIANELLUS.
CuHar. Above, black and brown irregular stripes; wings and wing-
coverts spotted with white; head with slight crest, a naked patch of
orange color over the eyes ; two middle tail-feathers longer than the others;
lower parts white, with dark V-shaped markings; legs and feet feathered.
Length about 17 inches.
Nest. In open woodland or on border of grove, or in thicket along a
stream, hidden under brush or at foot of a low bush; a slight depression
in the ground scantily lined with grass and feathers.
Eggs. 6-14 (usually about 12) ; reddish brown or yellowish brown,
marked with fine spots of a.darker shade of brown; 1.70 X 1.25.
This curious species of Grouse is alsv principally an inhabi-
tant of the coldest habitable parts of the American continent,
being found around Hudson Bay in the larch thickets through-
out the whole year. It is not uncommon in the forests of the
Rocky Mountains, and Mr. Say saw it in the spring likewise in
Missouri but little beyond the settlements, at which season it
also visits the vicinity of Fort William, on Lake Superior. We
met with it on Larimie’s Fork of the Platte in June, where it
was breeding. As an article of food it proved plump and well
flavored, superior almost to any other of the large species in
the United States. These birds are, as usual, shy and solitary,
living only in pairs throughout the summer, when they subsist
much upon berries. In autumn and winter they are seen mov-
ing in families, and frequent the thickets of juniper and larch,
on whose buds, as well as those of the birch, alder, and poplar,
they now principally live. They usually keep on the ground,
40 GROUSE FAMILY.
but if disturbed, take to trees. When hard pressed by the
hunter, they sometimes seek safety by plunging into the snow,
and quickly burrowing beneath it, come out at a distance, and
often from a situation the least expected, so that they fre-
quently make good their retreat from their enemies.
The Sharp-tailed Grouse makes its nest on the ground, near
some bush, with loose grass and a few feathers; the eggs are
from 9 to 13, white, with dusky spots. The young are hatched
about the middle of June, and utter a puling note something
like chickens. Unsuccessful attempts have been made to
domesticate them. The male has a shrill, rather feeble, crow-
ing note ; and both sexes, when disturbed, and on taking wing,
repeat a reiterated cry of kuk, kuk, kuk, accompanied by a
smart flirting of the tail-feathers, nearly similar to the opening
and closing of a fan. In the breeding-season the male struts
about proudly, in the usual manner of the genus and order
to which he belongs. The weight of this bird is about two
pounds, and the flesh is light brown when cooked, and is much
esteemed.
The northern limit of the range of this species, according to
Richardson, is Great Slave Lake, in 61 degrees; and its most
southern recorded station is in 41 degrees, on the Missouri.
It abounds on the outskirts of the Saskatchewan plains, and is
found throughout the woody districts of the fur countries, in
open glades and thickets on the borders of lakes, particularly
in the partially cleared tracts contiguous to the trading posts.
In winter, like the Pinnated Grouse, it perches generally on
trees, but in summer it is much on the ground, and is at all
times associated in coveys of ten to sixteen individuals. Early
in spring a family of these birds selects a level spot, whereon
they meet every morning, and run round in a circle of fifteen
or twenty feet diameter, on which the grass becomes worn
quite bare. On approaching this ring, the birds squat close to
the ground, but in a short time stretch out their necks to
survey the intruder, and if not scared by any nearer advance,
they soon resume their circular course, some running to the
tight, and others to the left, thus meeting and crossing each
CANADA, GROUSE. 4!I
other. These “ Partridge dances”’ last for a month or more,
until concluded by the more serious employ of incubation.
In imitation of this curious amusement of the Sharp-tailed
Grouse, the Indians of the upper Missouri have what they call
a Partridge-Dance, in which the old men chiefly join.
The true Sharp-tail is not found south of the Canadian border.
It occurs in the wooded districts along the north shore of Lake
Superior, and thence north to the timber limit, and west to British
Columbia and Alaska.
Note. — The “ PRarrnIE CHICKEN” is a paler race, called by
the systematists the PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE (P. phasia-
nellus campestris). It differs from the type in displaying more of
the gray shades, with tints of buff and drab, and less of the red
tinge in the upper parts. Also the dark tints are much paler in
campestris, so that the white spots on the wings do not stand in
such marked contrast. This sub-species ranges east to the prairie
districts of Illinois and Wisconsin, and is reported by Mr. Thomp-
son as abundant in Manitoba.
CANADA GROUSE.
SPOTTED GROUSE. SPRUCE PARTRIDGE.
DENDRAGAPUS CANADENSIS.
Cuar. Male: prevailing color black, varied above irregularly with
gray and tawny; below, spotted with white; a comb of reddish colored
naked skin over the eyes; tail with terminal band of orange brown; legs
feathered to the toes. Female: prevailing color brown, varied with black
and gray. Length about 16 inches.
Vest. In deep forest, hidden by 2 low hanging branch; a mere de-
pression in the turf; sometimes leaves, grass, and bits of moss are
loosely arranged as a lining.
Lges. 8-14 (usually about 10); ground color varies from dull white
to buff and reddish brown, marked irregularly with several shades of
reddish and orange brown and umber ; 1.70 X 1.20.
This dark species of Grouse inhabits the cold regions of
Hudson Bay up to the 67th parallel, throughout the whole
year, where it frequents the bushy plains. To the south of
this country it appears to seek out the alpine elevations,
42 GROUSE FAMILY.
being met withia the White Mountains of New Hampshire and
throughout a great portion of the Northern Andes, towards
the sources of the Missouri and Oregon. In winter it visits
Canada, the interior of Maine, Michigan, sometimes the State
of New Youk; and it even breeds round Halifax in Nova
Scotia, as well as in the State of Maine. In Canada it is
known by the name of the Wood Partridge; by others it
is called the Cedar, or Spruce, Partridge. Sometimes the birds
are sent in a frozen state from Nova Scotia and New Bruns-
wick to Boston.
The favorite resort of this species is in pine and spruce
woods and cedar swamps, which they frequent in the winter
for the purpose of feeding on the buds, oily seeds, and ever-
green foliage, to which they also add juniper-berries. Their
flesh, though palatable at all times, is considered best in sum-
met, when they feed much on berries, as the buds of the res-
inous evergreens communicate an unpleasant flavor to the
game. As usual, they nest on the ground with little art, in the
slight shelter of fallen leaves and bushes, and are said by
Audubon to lay 8 to 14 eggs of a deep fawn color, irregularly
splashed with different tints of brown. They are readily ap-
proached, and sometimes are said to be so unsuspicious as,
like the Ptarmigan, to allow of being knocked down with a
stick ; and round Hudson Bay are commonly caught by the
aborigines in a simple noose fastened to a stake. When much
disturbed, however, they betake themselves to trees, where
they are readily approached and shot down.
In the month of May, where they breed, in the State of
Maine, the male struts before his mate, and beating his wings
briskly against his body, produces a drumming noise, clearer
than that of the Ruffed Grouse, which can be heard to a con-
siderable distance. The males leave their mates as soon as
incubation has commenced, and do not join them again until
late in autumn.
The “Spruce Partridge,” as the bird is called by the gunners
“down East,” is a fairly common resident of the timber districts
in northern New England and the Provinces; it occurs also in the
PI. XI.
1. Pipmg Plover. 3. Golden Plover.
5.Ganada Grouse.
2 .Semi-Palmated Plover. 4,, Prairie Hen.
WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 43
forest regions of northern New York, and westward to Minnesota
and north to Labrador.
The retiring disposition of the bird has caused its habits to be
little known, and the nest is generally so well concealed that few
collectors have succeeded in procuring specimens of the eggs.
Several pairs of these birds have been successfully domesticated
by Mr. Watson Bishop, of Kentville, Nova Scotia, and an article
from his pen, published in the “ Ornithologist and Oologist ” for
January, 1889, contains much that is new concerning their habits.
The birds were easily tamed, and soon became so fearless as to
hop on Mr. Bishop’s knee and take food from his hand.
When strutting before the hen, the male poses and puffs after
the manner of a Gobbler. The feathers on his breast and collar
are raised on end; the combs over the eyes, which can be enlarged
at will, almost meet above the crown; and the erect and expanded
tail is kept swaying from side to side with a silk like rustling. The
females during the nesting season are very quarrelsome, so that
only a few can be kept in one pen; but this unfriendliness disap-
pears after the broods scatter.
The hen will occasionally cover the first egg with grass, but not
often, though after several eggs have been deposited, she usually
flings behind her, with her claws, any leaves, grass, or similar ma-
terial that may chance to lie near the nest. But she never turns to
arrange this covering; though when on the nest she will sometimes
pick up with her bill any straws that may be within reach, and
these she tucks under her.
The first egg of a clutch has the least amount of marking, and
the number of spots increases with each successive egg. The spots
are entirely on the surface, and are easily rubbed off.
WILLOW PTARMIGAN.
WHITE GROUSE.
LaGOPpus LAGOPUS.
Cuar. Bill black; legs and feet thickly feathered to the claws. Win-
ter plumage pure white ; tail-feathers black, tipped with white. Male in
summer: head and neck chestnut; body orange brown, more tawny on
back and rump, barred with black; wings mostly white. Female: simi-
lar, but more heavily barred with black. Length about 16 inches.
Nest. A mere depression, with a slight lining of leaves and grass, —
sometimes a few feathers.
Eggs. 8-16 (usually about 10); buff or reddish brown, marked with
darker brown ; 1.80 X 1.25.
44 GROUSE FAMILY.
White Grouse, or Ptarmigan.
The Ptarmigan is one among the very few animated beings
which, by choice and instinct, constantly reside in the coldest
Arctic deserts, and in the lofty mountains of central Europe,
where, as the snow begins to melt away, it seeks out its frozen
bed by ascending to the limits of eternal ice. Like so many
other animals of this inclement boreal region, this bird is com-
mon to both the old and new continent. It is met with in
Siberia, Kamtschatka, Greenland, most parts of northern Eu-
rope, the Highlands of Scotland, and even as far south as the
romantic scenes of the lakes of Cumberland, a few being still
seen in the lofty hills which surround the vale of Keswick, as
well as in Wales. This species has scarcely been met with
on the American continent, except on Melville Island and
Churchill River.
The Ptarmigan feeds on many sorts of berries, particularly
the crow-berry (Empetrum nigrum) and cow-berry (Vacei-
nium vitis idea), as well as the tops of the same plant ; it also
collects catkins, buds, and the young shoots of the pine,
heath, rosehips, and sometimes the different kinds of lichens,
which it searches out in the extensive burrows it makes
beneath the snow. To all this bill of frugal fare, it also
sometimes adds a few insects. These birds search out their
food chiefly in the morning and evening, and in the middle of
the day are observed sometimes to bask in the sun. Like the
Esquimaux of the human family, whose lot is cast in the same
cold and dreary region, they seek protection from the extreme
severity of the climate by dwelling in the snow; it is here that
they commonly roost and work out subterraneous paths. In
the morning, as soon as they leave their frozen dens, they fly
out vigorously into the air in an upward direction, shaking the
snow from their warm and white clothing. While thus feeding
they socially call on one another at intervals in a loud tone,
and sometimes utter a sort of cackling cry, almost like a coarse
and mocking laugh.
The nest, about the middle of June, is made in open places
WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 45
where moss abounds, or in the shelter of the low, creeping
bushes, forming the only woody growth of these naked and
sterile regions. The eggs, 7 to 15, are oblong, of a rufous
yellow, from the great number of large and small spots of black
or of reddish Slack with which they are covered. From the
lingering attachment of the male to his mate when killed, it is
probable that the species may be monogamous, or even con-
stantly mated. After the young are fully grown, and released
from the care of their parents, they and the old are seen to
assemble in flocks of two or three hundred, about the begin-
ning of October, when they appear to migrate a little to the
south in quest of food, or rather from the mountains towards
the plains. At this time they are seen in great numbers round
Hudson Bay, where they assemble for subsistence; and as
the store diminishes, they push their tardy migrations in other
directions for a fresh supply. Unsuspicious of the wiles and
appetites of man, Ptarmigans appear often as tame as domes-
tic chickens, more particularly when the weather is mild;
they are allured even by crumbs of bread, and on throwing a
hat towards them, or any strange object, they are so attracted
by the appearance as to allow of an approach so near that a
noose may be thrown round their necks, or, approached from
behind, they may be knocked down with poles. Sometimes,
however, they become wild enough to fly, but soon grow weary,
and as tame as usual. When about to fly off to a distance
from the hunters, they are instantly brought to settle down by
imitating the cry of their enemy the Hawk. At times, trusting
to the concealment of their winter livery, they will remain
motionless upon the snow, from which they are still distinguish-
able by their more dazzling whiteness.
They are much esteemed as food in every country where
they occur, and are commonly taken in nets, which are merely
made to fall over the place where they assemble, or to which
they are driven; and so numerous are they at Hudson Bay
that fifty or seventy are sometimes obtained at a single haul of
a net about twenty feet square. Between November and April
as many as ten thousand are taken for the use of the settle-
46 GROUSE FAMILY.
ment; and in Europe, during the winter, they are carried in
thousands to the market of Bergen in Norway, and when half-
roasted or jerked, are put into barrels and transported to other
countries as an article of commerce.
Willow Grouse, or Large Ptarmigan.
This larger species, called the Willow Grouse by Hearne, the
Wood Grouse of the Norwegians, is another inhabitant of both
continents, extending its residence to the eternal limits of the
polar ice. In America they abound around Hudson Bay,
where they are said to breed along the coast, making their
nests on dry ridges on the ground. In the ancient continent
they shelter their nests in the high tufts of the heath, and in
the dwarf willows. Their eggs, 10 to 12, are longer than
those of the preceding species, of a muddy white, or inclining
to pale rufous, covered and marbled with great numbers of
spots, of the color of clotted blood. They even breed in Lab-
rador about the beginning of June. According to Audubon,
they are sometimes seen in the State of Maine and around
Lake Michigan. This species also appears to be monogamous,
as both sexes remain together and show an equal anxiety for
the safety of their brood.
It is somewhat remarkable that this species, still more boreal
than the Common Ptarmigan in Europe and Asia, should con-
stantly inhabit to the south of that species in North America,
where it seems, as it were, to have usurped its residence. The
general habits of these birds are very similar to those of the
preceding. Like them, they become gregarious at the setting
in of winter, roaming after their food in flocks of as many as
two hundred, living then and at most seasons on the tops,
buds, and even seeds of the dwarf-willow, and hence called
Willow Partridges. They also subsist on most kinds of north-
ern berries, and many other kinds of buds and leaves, with the
tops of the heath and the seeds of the birch. As food, this
species is preferred to the smaller Ptarmigan.
Nuttall followed Audubon in thus separating this species and
recognizing as a distinct form the White Ptarmigan, — the ameré
ROCK PTARMIGAN. 47
canus of Audubon, — but Baird doubted its validity, and it has
been entirely omitted from recent works. I have given above the
two biographies as they appeared in Nuttall’s book, for together
they tell about all that is known of the present species.
The Willow Ptarmigan ranges through boreal America from
Labrador to Alaska, and in winter is quite abundant on the north
shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During some seasons a number
have wandered sufficiently near to Quebec and Montreal to get into
the markets.
There are only two instances recorded of the occurrence of this
bird south of the St. Lawrence, —one secured by Mr. C. B. Cory
on the Magdelen Islands, and the second shot by Dr. C. Hart
Merriam in Lewis County, northern New York.
NoTE.—A variety of this species—ALLEN’s PTARMIGAN
(L. lagopus allent) was described by Dr. Stejneger in 1884. It
differs from true /egopus in having the wing-feathers mottled with
black, and black shafts. This race is restricted to Newfoundland.
ROCK PTARMIGAN.
LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS.
Cuar. Similar to the Willow Ptarmigan, but smaller (length about
14 inches), and in summer displays more black and less of the rufous
tint. Also distinguished by a line of black running through the eyes.
Nest. A mere depression, with a slight covering of grass and moss.
Eggs. 8-16 (usually 10); buff or pale reddish brown, marked with
darker brown; 1.70 X 1.20.
This species is nearly allied to the Common Ptarmigan, but
is smaller, has more of the brownish yellow in its summer
dress, broader bars of black, and none of the cinereous tint
which prevails in the livery of the Ptarmigan. In winter it
is only distinguishable by its size. This species is, according
to Hutchins, numerous at the two extremities of Hudson Bay,
but does not appear at the middle settlements (York and
Severn factories) except in very severe seasons, when the
Willow Grouse are scarce. It abounds in Melville Island in
the dreary latitude of 74 and 75 degrees in the short summers
48 GROUSE FAMILY.
of that frigid and cheerless region. It is also found on Mel-
ville Peninsula and the Barren Grounds, and indeed seldom
proceeds farther south in winter than the 63d parallel in the
interior, but descends along the coasts of Hudson Bay to lati-
tude 58 degrees, and in severe seasons still farther to the
south. It is met with in the range of the Rocky Mountains as
far to the south as the latitude of 55 degrees. In its habits
and mode of living it resembles the Willow Grouse, but does
not retire so far into the woody country in winter. It fre-
quents the open woods on the borders of lakes at the same
season, particularly in the 65th parallel, though the bulk of the
species remains on the skirts of the Barren Grounds. It
hatches in June.
The usual habitat of this species is the barren ground region of
the Arctics, though one example was shot on Anticosti by Mr.
William Brewster.
Note. — In REINHARDT’S PTARMIGAN (L. rupestris reinhardt)
the male in summer plumage is more mottled, above, than true
rupestris, and the female is black, above, varied with grayish buff.
This race is found in Greenland and on the western shore of
Cumberland Bay and the northern extremity of Labrador.
WELCH’S PTARMIGAN.
LAGOPUS WELCHI.
Cuar. In winter similar to rupestris. Male in summer: above, dark
brownish gray blended with whitish gray and reddish gray; head and
neck lighter; wings white; breast and sides like back; throat, belly, and
legs white; tail dusky gray; bill and claws black. Female: similar, but
of lighter color, and the back and breast tinged with yellow. Length
about 15 inches.
Nest and Eges. Unknown, but probably similar to rzpestris.
This species, which is closely related to the Rock Ptarmigan, is
restricted to Newfoundland, where it ranges over the rocky hills
and barrens of the interior. It was first described by Brewster, in
1885, from specimens taken by George O. Welch, of Lynn.
SANDERLING.
RUDDY PLOVER. BEACH-BIRD.
CALIDRIS ARENARIA.
CHAR. No hind toe; bill somewhat similar to a Plover. In summer:
above, mottled rufous and blackish brown, most of the feathers tipped
with grayish white; head and neck pale chestnut spotted with brown;
wing-coverts tipped with white; outer tail-feathers white; lower parts
white. In winter the rufous tints are replaced by pearl gray, and the
spring plumage displays a mixture of the two. In young birds the head,
neck, and back are tinged with buff. Length about 8 inches.
Vest. Under a bush or amid a tuft of weeds; a depression lined with
dry grass.
£egs. 2-4; greenish buff or brownish olive, spotted chiefly around the
larger end with brown; 1.40 X 0.95.
’ The Sanderlings, in accumulating flocks, arrive on the shores
of Massachusetts from their remote northern breeding-places
towards the close of August. They are seen also about the
same time on the coast of New Jersey and still farther to the
South, where they remain throughout the greater part of
the winter, gleaning their subsistence exclusively along the
immediate borders of the ocean, and are particularly attached
to sandy flats and low, sterile, solitary coasts divested of vege-
VOL. I. — 4
50 WADING BIRDS.
tation and perpetually bleached by the access of tides and
storms; in such situations they are often seen in numerous
flocks running along the strand, busily employed in front of
the moving waves, gleaning with agility the shrimps, minute
shell-fish, marine insects, and small moluscous animals which
ever-recurring accident throws in their way. The numerous
flocks keep a low circling course along the strand, at times
uttering a slender and rather plaintive whistle nearly like that
of the smaller Sandpipers. On alighting, the little active troop,
waiting the opportunity, scatter themselves about in the rear of
the retiring surge. The succeeding wave then again urges the
busy gleaners before it, when they appear like a little pigmy
army passing through their military evolutions; and at this
time the wily sportsman, seizing his opportunity, spreads
destruction among their timid ranks; and so little are they
aware of the nature of the attack that after making a few aérial
meanders the survivors pursue their busy avocations with as
little apparent concern as at the first. The breeding-place
of the Sanderlings, in common with many other wading and
aquatic birds, is in the remote and desolate regions of the
North, since they appear to be obliged to quit those countries
in America a little after the middle of August. According to
Mr. Hutchins, they breed on the coast of Hudson Bay as low
as the 55th parallel ; and he remarks that they construct, in the
marshes, a rude nest of grass, laying four dusky eggs, spotted
with black, on which they begin to sit about the middle of
June.
Flemming supposes that those seen in Great Britain breed
no farther off than in the bleak Highlands of Scotland, and
Mr. Simmonds observed them at the Mull of Cantyre as late as
the second of June. They are found in the course of the
season throughout the whole Arctic circle, extending their
migrations also into moderate climates in the winter. They
do not, however, in Europe proceed as far south as the capital
of Italy, as we learn from the careful and assiduous observa-
tions of the Prince of Musignano. According to Latham the
Sanderling is known to be an inhabitant even of the remote
SANDERLING., 51
coast of Australia, and is found on the shores of Lake Baikal
in Siberia. In the month of May, or as soon as they have
recovered from the moult of spring, they leave us for the
north, but are seldom in good order for the table until autumn,
when, with their broods, they arrive remarkably plump and
fat, and are then justly esteemed as a delicacy by the epicure.
Besides the various kinds of insect food already mentioned on
which they live, they likewise swallow considerable portions of
sand in order apparently to assist the process of digestion.
The Sanderling is almost cosmopolitan in its distribution, and is
usually abundant wherever it occurs. In America it breeds in high
Arctic regions, and winters in the far South, — some flocks going to
Chili and Patagonia; and in their migrations the birds follow the
water-ways of the interior as well as the coast-line.
A few stragglers have been seen on the New England shores in
summer, but no nest has been found south of about latitude 55°;
and Captain Feilden reports finding a number breeding on the
shores of the Frozen Ocean, at the extreme northern limit of
animal life.
Flemming’s opinion that some of these birds nested in Scotland
has not been confirmed by recent observers. Even on the Faroe
Islands the Sanderling occurs as a migrant only; but nests have
been taken in Iceland.
These birds are exceedingly active and by no means shy. When
flushed they fly out to sea, but soon return; and when a flock is
fired into, the remnant make no great effort to escape, though
a wounded bird will dive into the surf or swim off on the surface
of the water.
The food of the Sanderling while in this region is confined
chiefly to small bivalves and crustaceans; but on its breeding-
ground the bird is more insectivorous, and has been known to eat
also the buds of plants.
52 WADING BIRDS.
BLACK-NECKED STILT.
HIMANTOPUS MEXICANUS.
CHAR. Legs bright pink and exceedingly long; bill black, slender,
and longer than the head; crown, back of neck, back, and wings black;
forehead, patch over the eyes, throat, and under parts white. Length
about 15 inches.
Vest. On marshy margin of stream or pond; a slight depression in
the turf, lined with dry grass. Sometimes — if the ground is very wet—a
high platform is built, of weed-stems and twigs.
Eggs. 3-4; pale olive or greenish buff, spotted with brownish black;
size exceedingly variable, average about 1.75 X 1.20.
The Black-necked Stilt is common to many parts of South
as well as North America; it is known at any rate to inhabit
the coast of Cayenne, Jamaica, and Mexico. In the United
States it is seldom seen but as a straggler as far to the north
as the latitude of 41°. About the 25th of April, according
to Wilson, the Stilts arrive on the coast of New Jersey in
small flocks of twenty or thirty together. These again sub-
divide into smaller parties, but they still remain gregarious
through the breeding-season. Their favorite residence is in
the higher and more inland parts of the greater salt-marshes,
which are interspersed and broken up with shallow pools, not
usually overflowed by the tides during summer. In these
places they are often seen wading up to the breast in water,
in quest of the larvee, spawn, flies, and insects which constitute
their food.
In the vicinity of these bare places, among thick tufts of
grass, small associations of six or eight pair take up their
residence for the breeding-season. They are, however, but
sparingly dispersed over the marshes, selecting their favorite
spots, while in large intermediate tracts few or none are to be
seen. Early in May they begin to make their nests, which
are at first slightly formed of a mere layer of old grass, just
sufficient to keep the eggs from the moisture of the marsh; in
the course of incubation, however, either to guard against the
rise of the tides, or for some other purpose, the nest is in-
BLACK-NECKED STILT. 53
creased in height with the dry twigs of salt marsh shrubs, roots
of grass, sea-weed, and any other coarse materials which may
be convenient, until the whole may now weigh two or three
pounds. The eggs, four in number, are of a dark yellowish
drab, thickly marked with large blotches of brownish black.
These nests are often situated within fifteen or twenty yards
of each other, the respective proprietors living in mutual
friendship.
While the females are sitting, their mates are either wading
in the adjoining ponds, or traversing the marshes in the
vicinity ; but on the approach of any intruder in their peace-
able community, the whole troop assemble in the air, and flying
steadily with their long legs extended behind them, keep up a
continual yelping note of click, click, click. Alighting on the
marsh, they are often seen to drop their wings, and standing
with their legs half bent, and trembling, they seem to sustain
their bodies with difficulty. In this singular posture they will
sometimes remain for several minutes, uttering a curring sound,
and quivering their wings and long shanks as if in the act of
laboriously balancing themselves on the ground. A great deal
of this motion is, however, probably in manceuvre, to draw the
spectators’ attention from their nests.
Although so sedentary in the breeding-season, at times they
extend their visits to the shores, wading about in the water
and mud in quest of their food, which they scoop up with
great dexterity. On being wounded, while in the water, they
sometimes attempt to escape by diving, — at which, however,
they are by no means expert. In autumn their flesh is tender
and well flavored. They depart for the South early in Sep-
tember, and proceed probably to pass the winter in tropical
America.
The Stilt is a rare bird in this Eastern faunal province, excep-
ting in Florida. It is occasionally seen along the sandy beaches of
Massachusetts, and a few examples have been taken in Maine and
New Brunswick and in Michigan.
AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER.
H&MATOPUS PALLIATUS.
CHAR. Bill red, long, stout, straight, and compressed towards the
punt; feet red, no hind toe, outer and middle toes united bya membrane
as far as the middle joint. Head ard neck black, changing to blackish
brown on back and wings ; rump, wing-band, tail, and belly white. Length
18 incnes.
Nesc. On the border of a salt-marsh or upper edge of a sea-beach;
a mere depression scratched in the sand.
Leggs. 2-3; bluish white or pale buff marked with several shades of
brown; 2.20 X 1.55.
The Oyster-catcher is common to the north of both conti-
nents, breeding in Great Britain, France, Norway, and along
the borders of the Caspian; it is even seen as far south as
Senegal in Africa. But though common in New Jersey and
the Southern States as far as the Bahamas, where these birds
likewise pass the period of reproduction, they are but rarely
seen to visit the coast of Massachusetts. In Europe they
are said to retire somewhat inland at the approach of winter ;
in the United States they are seen at this season along the
coasts which lie south of Cape Hatteras, on the borders of
AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER. 55
the Atlantic. They return to New Jersey by the close of
April, and frequenting the sandy sea-beach, are now seen in
small parties of two or three pairs together. They are gene-
rally wild and difficult to approach, except in the breeding-
season, and at times may be seen walking erectly and watch-
fully along the shore, now and then probing the sand in quest
of marine worms, mollusca, and minute shell-fish. Their larger
prey is sometimes the small burrowing crabs called fiddlers,
as well as mussels, solens, and oyséers, their reputed prey
in Europe. They seldom, however, molest the larger shell-
fish in the United States, preferring smaller and less precarious
game. Catesby, at the same time, asserts that he found
oysters in the stomach, and Willoughby adds that they some-
times swallowed entire limpets. According to Belon, the organ
of digestion is indeed spacious and muscular, and the flesh
of the bird is black, hard, and rank flavored. Yet in the
opinion of some, the young, when fat, are considered as agree-
able food. The nests of the Oyster-catchers are said often to
be made in the herbage of the salt-marshes, but on the At-
lantic coast these birds commonly drop their eggs in slight
hollows scratched in the coarse sand and drift, in situations
just sufficiently elevated above the reach of the summer tides.
The eggs are laid from the first to the third week in May,
and from the 15th to the 25th the young are hatched, and
run about nimbly almost as soon as they escape from the shell.
At first they are covered with a down nearly the color of the
sand, but marked with a line of brownish black on the back,
rump, and neck. In some parts of Europe Oyster-catchers are
so remarkably gregarious -in particular breeding-spots that a
bushel of their eggs in a few hours might be collected from
the same place.
_ Like Gulls and other birds of this class, incubation costs
much less labor than among the smaller birds, for the female
sits on her eggs only during the night and morning, or in cold
and rainy weather; the heat of the sun and sand alone being
generally sufficient to hatch them, without the aid of the bird
by day. The nest is, however, assiduously watched with the
56 WADING BIRDS.
usual solicitude of parental affection, and on the least alarm
the male starts off with a loud scream, while the female, if
present, to avoid the discovery of her charge, runs out some
distance previous to taking wing. The young, as soon as re-
leased from the shell, follow the guiding call of the mother, and
on any imminent danger threatening, instinctively squat on the
sand, when, from the similarity of their color, it is nearly im-
possible to discover their artless retreat. On these occasions,
the parents make wide circuits on either hand, now and then
alighting, and practising the usual stratagem of counterfeited
imbecility, to draw away attention from their brood. The
note of this species consists commonly of a quick, loud, and
shrill whistling call like ‘wheep, ’wheep, wheo, or peep, peep,
often reiterated, as well at rest as while on the wing.
While migrating, they keep together in lines like a mar-
shalled troop, and however disturbed by the sportsman, they
still continue to maintain their ranks. At a later period the
flock will often rise, descend, and wheel about with great
regularity, at the same time bringing the brilliant white of
their wings into conspicuous display. When wounded, and
at other times, according to Baillon, they betake themselves
to the water, on which they repose, and swim and dive with
celerity. They have sometimes also been brought up and tamed
so as to associate familiarly with ducks and other poultry.
This bird is still rare in New England, though plentiful along
the shores of the Middle States. Two examples have been taken
on the Bay of Fundy.
Mr. Walter Hoxie, in the “ Ornithologist and Oologist” for
August, 1887, gave an interesting account of a pair of these birds
moving their eggs when the nest was discovered. While Mr.
Hoxie was watching the parents they carried the eggs about one
hundred yards from the old nest, and deposited them safely in a
nest which he saw the birds prepare.
Note. — The European OySTER-CATCHER (Hematopus ostra
Jegus) occurs occasionally in Greenland.
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. 57
AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER.
COMMON PLOVER. WHISTLING PLOVER. PALE-BELLY.
GREEN PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS,
CHAR. No hind toe. Above, spotted with black and lemon yellow ;
forehead and line over the eyes white ; tail grayish brown with imperfect
bars of ashy white; beneath, black. In winter plumage the black of the
lower parts is replaced by mottled gray and white, the throat and breast
spotted with dusky.
West. At the upper edge of a sea-beach ; a mere depression in the soil
lined with a few bits of grass.
eggs. 3-4 (usually 4) ; of sharply pointed pyriform shape; dark brown-
ish buff, sometimes tinged with drab or grayish white; spotted and
blotched with various shades of brown; 2.00 X 1.40.
The Common Plover is, according to the season of the year,
met with in almost every part of the world, particularly in Asia
and Europe, from Kamtschatka to China, as well as in the
South Sea Islands; and on the present continent from Arctic
America, where it breeds, to the Falkland Islands; it is also
seen in the interior at least as far as Missouri. It breeds in
Siberia and in the northern parts of Great Britain, but not in
France or Italy, where it is also common. At such times it
selects the high and secluded mountains, sheltered by the heath,
where, without much attempt at a nest, the female deposits
about four, or sometimes five, eggs of a pale-olive color, marked
with blackish spots.
These Plovers arrive on the coast of the Middle and North-
ern States in spring and early autumn. Near to Nantasket and
Chelsea Beach they are seen on their return from their inclem-
ent natal regions in the north by the close of August, and the
young remain in the vicinity till the middle of October, or
later, according to the state of the weather. They live princi-
pally upon land insects, or the larvee and worms they meet
with in the saline marshes, and appear very fond of grasshop-
pers. About the time of their departure they are, early in the
morning, seen sometimes assembled by thousands ; but they all
58 WADING BIRDS.
begin to disperse as the sun rises, and at length disappear high
in the air for the season. They usually associate, however, in
small flocks and families, and when alarmed, while on the wing,
or giving their call to those who are feeding around them, they
have a wild, shrill, and whistling note, and are at most times
timid, watchful, and difficult to approach. Though they con-
tinue associated in numbers for common safety during the day,
they disperse in the evening, and repose apart from each
other. At day-break, however, the feeling of solitude again
returns, and the early sentinel no sooner gives the shrill and
well-known ca// than they all assemble in their usual company.
At this time they are often caught in great numbers by the
fowler, with the assistance of a clap-net stretched, before
dawn, in front of the place they have selected to pass the night.
The fowlers, now surrounding the spot, prostrate themselves on
the ground when the call is heard ; and as soon as the birds are
collected together, they rise up from ambush, and by shouts
and the throwing up of sticks in the air, succeed so far in
intimidating the Plovers that they lower their flight, and thus
striking against the net, it falls upon them. In this and most
other countries their flesh, in the autumn, and particularly that
of the young birds, is esteemed as a delicacy, and often exposed
for sale in the markets of the principal towns.
The Golden Plover is common, and in some localities abundant,
in the autumn along the shores of New England and the Maritime
Provinces, but in the spring migrations it is rarely or never seen.
Dr. Wheaton found it abundant in the spring, and common in
the fall, in Ohio ; but some observers in Ontario consider it a rare
bird in that province.
NorE. — The European GOLDEN PLOVER (Charadrius apri-
carius) has been seen occasionally in Greenland.
PIPING PLOVER, 59
PIPING PLOVER.
EGIALITIS =MELODA.
Cuar. Above, pale ash tinged with pale brown; forehead and inter-
rupted ring about the neck black; below, white ; black patches on side of
chest; feet orange; bill orange, tipped with black. In young birds the
ea of the head and neck is replaced by brown. Length 6% to 7%
inches.
an Amid the shingle of a sea-beach; a shallow depression in the
sand.
Eggs. 2-4 (usually 4); pale buff or creamy, marked with fine spots of
blackish brown and a few spots of lavender ; 1.30 X 1.00.
This species is a common inhabitant of our sea-coast, arriv-
ing in the Middle States from its Southern hibernal retreats
towards the close of April. It does not, however, proceed so far
to the north, but resides and breeds in the United States, from
the shores of New Jersey to Nova Scotia. Along the low, sandy,
and solitary borders of the sea, in small scattering flocks, the
Piping Plovers are therefore seen throughout the summer, rap-
idly coursing over the strand, either in quest of their food or
to elude the search of the intruding spectator. After gliding
swiftly along for a little distance, they often stop for a short
interval to watch any approach or pick up some insect, occasion-
ally bending forward and jerking the head up in a balancing
attitude ; when still, their pale livery so nearly resembles the
color of the sand that for the instant they are rendered nearly
‘ invisible. On approaching their nests, which are mere shallow
hollows in the sand and gravel, they usually exhibit consider-
able emotion, running along with outspread wings and tail,
and fluttering as if lame, to attract attention from their eggs
and young. ‘They will sometimes practise this artifice at a
considerable distance from their brood, and often follow the
spectator for a mile or two, making their shrill, mournful,
monotonous call, frequently alighting and running, with a view
to deception, near any place which happens to be examined ;
and by these reiterated feints and fears it becomes often
nearly impossible to discover their breeding-haunts. About
60 WADING BIRDS.
the 2oth of May, or later, as they proceed to the North, they
commence laying, the eggs, being about four, rather large, of
a pale cream color, or nearly white, irregularly spotted and
blotched nearly all over with blackish brown and many sub-
dued tints of a much paler color.
The cry of this species, uttered while running along the
strand, is rather soft and musical, consisting chiefly of a single,
varied, and repeated plaintive note. On approaching the
breeding-spot, the birds wheel around in contracting circles,
and become more clamorous, piping out, in a tone of alarm,
*ké-bee,’ and keeb, keeb, then falling off into a more feeble ée-
400, with occasionally a call of 426. At times, in the same sad
and wild accent with the vociferous Lapwing, we hear a cry of
kee-wee, and even the same pai-wee, pee-voo, and pat-voo.
When in hurry and consternation, the cry resembled ’4/¢, *piZ,
‘pit, ‘pt. Sometimes, in apparent artifice, for the defence of
their tender brood, besides practising alarming gestures, they
even squeak like young birds in distress.
The food of this species is quite similar with that of the
Semi-palmated Ring Plover; indeed, the birds are scarcely to
be distinguished but by the paleness of the plumage in the
present species, and the shortness of the web between the
exterior toes: They are usually fat, except in the breeding-
season, and much esteemed as game.
The Piping Plover is a common summer resident of New Eng-
land and the Maritime Provinces, though rare in some localities on
the Bay of Fundy. Mr.C. B. Cory found it abundant on the -
Magdalen Islands.
Mr. Thompson thinks it a migrant near Toronto; but Mr.
Saunders found it breeding at Point Pelee, on Lake Erie.
Note.— The BELTED PIPING PLOVER (.2. meloda circum:
cincta) is a Western variety, restricted chiefly to the Missouri
River region, though it has been occasionally seen on the Atlantic
coast. It differs from true #e/oda in having “the black patches on
the sides of the chest more or less completely coalesced” instead
of separated. '
1 The first syllable uttered with a guttural lisp,
WILSON’S PLOVER. 61
WILSON’S PLOVER.
ZEGIALITIS WILSONIA.
Cuar. Above, olive ash or pale ashy brown, tinged on the nape with
rufous; under parts and forehead white; patches on front of crown, and
band on breast black ; tail dark olive; bill black, long, and stout. Length
about 734 inches, Easily distinguished from the other small “ ring-
necked ” Plover by its large black bill.
West. Amid the shingle on a sea-side beach; an extremely slight
hollow in the sand, without lining.
£ggs. Usually 3; pale olive-buff thickly marked with blackish brown;
size variable, average 1.30 X 1.00.
This species was described by Ord in 1813, and dedicated to his
friend Wilson. It is a Southern bird, and restricted probably to
the sea-coast, though some few observers have reported finding it
in the interior. It was “not very common” on Long Island in
Giraud’s day, and later authorities have reported it extremely rare
there; but it occurs in more or less abundance from Virginia to
Florida and on both coasts of Central America. A few examples
have been credited to New England, and Colonel Goss shot one
on Brier Island, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy.
Dr. Coues describes the habits of this Plover as much the same
as those of its congener, the Semi-palmated. He says the Wil-
son’s Plovers move north in flocks of six to twenty; but these sep-
arate on the nesting ground, and two nests are never placed in
close neighborhood. They are gentle and unsuspicious birds; but
when a nest is approached, the parents become intensely excited,
flitting to and fro hurriedly and wildly, and continually uttering
cries of alarm and dismay in most pathetic tones. Their note is
described as “half a whistle and half a chirp, and very different
from the clear mellow piping of the other species.”
They begin to lay about the middle of May or first of June,
according to location. The young run as soon as they are clear of
the shell, and easily escape detection by squatting on the sand,
which is very similar in color.
The flight of Wilson’s Plover is swift and graceful; and as the
birds skim above the water — barely clearing the crests of the
waves —they continually utter their cry in clear, soft tones. Giraud
described them as of a sociable tendency; but Audubon thought
they rarely mingled with other species, and called them solitary.
Their food is small shell-fish, worms, and insects, with which they
mingle fine particles of sand.
62 WADING BIRDS.
KILLDEER.
EGIALITIS VOCIFERA.
Cuar. Above, grayish brown; band on forehead above and behind
eyes white bordered with black; two bands across chest black; rump
and base of tail rufous ; tail with subterminal band of black and tipped
with white; patch of white on wing; under parts white. Length 10
inches. :
Vest. On the edge of a sandy beach or margin of a marshy meadow;
a mere depression in the sand or turf, sometimes slightly lined with
dry grass.
Lgygs. Usually 4; buff, sometimes drabish, marked with fine spots of
dark brown; 1.55 X 1.10.
The well-known, restless, and noisy Killdeer is a common
inhabitant throughout the United States, in nearly all parts of
which it is known to breed, wintering, however, generally to
the south of Massachusetts. In the interior it also penetrates
to the sources of the Mississippi, the remote plains of the
Saskatchewan, and Vieillot met with it even in St. Domingo.
On the return of spring it wanders from the coast, to which it
had been confined in winter, and its reiterated and shrill cry is
again heard as it passes through the air, or as it courses the
shore of the river, or the low meadows in the vicinity of the
sea, About the beginning of May it resorts to the fields or
level pastures which happen to be diversified with pools of
water, and in such situations, or the barren sandy downs in the
immediate vicinity of the sea, it fixes upon a place for its nest
which is indeed a mere slight hollow lined with such straw and
dry weeds as come most convenient. In one instance Wilson
saw a nest of the Killdeer curiously paved and bordered with
fragments of clam and oyster shells; at other times no vestige
of an artificial nest was visible. The eggs, usually four, large
and pointed at the smaller end, are of a yellowish cream color
thickly marked with blackish blotches.
At all times noisy and querulous to a proverb, in the breed-
ing-season nothing can exceed the Killdeer’s anxiety and
alarm ; and the incessant cry of Aildeer, Rildeer, or te te de dit,
and ¢e dit, as they waft themselves about over head or descend
KILLDEER, U3
and fly around you, is almost deafening. At the same time, to
carry out this appearance of distress they run along the ground
with hanging wings, counterfeiting lameness to divert the
intention of the intruder. Indeed, no person can now approach
the breeding-place, though at a considerable distance, without
being molested with their vociferous and petulant clamor.
During the evening and till a late hour, in moonlight nights,
their cries are still heard both in the fall and spring. They
seek their fare of worms and insects often in the twilight, so
that their habits are in some degree nocturnal; but they also
feed largely on grasshoppers, crickets, carabi, and other kinds
which frequent grassy fields by day.
The flight of these birds is remarkably vigorous, and they
sometimes proceed at a great height in the air. They are also
fond of washing themselves and wading in the pools, which
they frequent for insects ; their gait is perfectly erect, and, like
most of their tribe, they run with great celerity. As game, their
flesh, like that of the Lapwing, is musky, and not generally
esteemed ; in the fall, however, when fat they are by some
considered as well flavored. Towards autumn families descend
to the sea-shore, where their behavior now becomes more
circumspect and silent.
At one time the Killdeer was not uncommon in New England,
but of late years it has been quite rare, though a few pairs still
breed on Rhode Island. It is seldom seen in the Maritime Prov-
inces, but is common along the Great Lakes. Farther west it
ranges north to the Saskatchewan.
An extraordinary flight of these birds visited the New England
coast late in November, 1888. Dr. Arthur P. Chadbourne — who
contributed a paper on the subject to “ The Auk” for July, 1889 —
proved by reports received from various points on the Atlantic
coast that the birds had been driven off shore by a severe gale
while migrating along the Carolinian coast, and had been carried
north on the eastern edge of the storm and finally to the land.
After the storm the birds were abundant for several days from
Nova Scotia to Rhode Island.
64 WADING BIRDS.
SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER.
ZEGIALITIS SEMIPALMATA.
Cuar. Above, brownish ash; forehead white, bordered with black;
cheeks black ; throat and band round neck white; breast and band round
neck black; bill orange, tipped with black; under parts white. Length
about 7 inches.
Nest. On the margin of a salt-marsh or a swampy inlet of the sea; a
slight hollow partially lined with grass or weeds.
Zegs. 2-4 (usually 4); greenish buff or olive drab, marked with sev-
eral shades of brown; size variable, average I.30 X 0.95.
This small species, so nearly related to the Ring Plover of
Europe, arrives from the South along our sea-coasts and those
of the Middle States towards the close of April, where it is
seen feeding and busily collecting its insect fare until the close
of May. These birds then disappear on their way farther
north to breed, and in the summer are even observed as far as
the icy shores of Greenland. According to Richardson they
abound in Arctic America during the summer, and breed in
similar situations with the Golden Plover. Mr. Hutchins adds,
its eggs, generally four, are dark colored and spotted with
black. The aborigines say that on the approach of stormy
weather this species utters a chirping noise and claps its wings,
as if influenced by some instinctive excitement. ‘The same, or
a very similar species, is also met with in the larger West
India islands and in Brazil according to the rude figure and
imperfect description of Piso.
The early commencement of inclement weather in the cold
regions selected for their breeding haunts induces the Ring
Plovers to migrate to the South as soon as their only brood
have acquired strength for their indispensable journey. Flocks
of the old and young are thus seen in the vicinity of Boston by
the close of the first week in August, and they have been
observed on the shores of the Cumberland, in Tennessee, by
the ninth of September.
The Semi-palmated Ring Plover, though so well suited for an
almost aquatic life, feeds on land as well as marine insects,
collecting weavels and other kinds, and very assiduously cours-
SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER. 65
ing the strand’at low water. In general, when not too eagerly
hunted, they are but little suspicious, and may readily be
approached by the fowler, as well as detained sometimes by
whistling in imitation of their quailing call. On most occa-
sions, and when flushed, they utter a reiterated, sharp, twitter-
ing, and wild note, very much in unison with the ceaseless
echoes of the breaking surge and the lashing of the waves,
near which they almost perpetually course, gliding and run-
ning with great agility before the retiring or advancing waters.
Their flesh is commonly fat and well flavored, and in early
autumn they are not uncommon in the markets of Boston and
New York.
These pretty and interesting birds are abundant throughout the
United States during both the spring and the autumn migrations ;
but excepting an occasional pair that are found in Maine, none
breed south of the-Canadian boundary. Dr. Louis B. Bishop
reported numbers breeding on the Magdalen Islands, in 1888, and
the birds are abundant during the summer on the coast of Labra-
dor. In winter they range into South America, many going as far
as Brazil and Peru.
VOL. I. —§
RING PLOVER.
AEGIALITIS HIATICULA.
Cuar. Above, rich brown; forehead and stripe behind the eyes
white; crown, cheeks, and collar black, — the collar widest on the breast ;
patch on wings white; central tail-feathers brown, tipped with white;
outer feathers mostly white; beneath, white; bill yellow, tipped with
black. Length 734 inches.
Nest. A cavity among the pebbles of a sea-washed beach, sometimes
siightly lined with weeds, — occasionally the lining is of small stones about
the size of peas.
Eggs. Usually 4; dull buff, marked with brownish black; 1.40 X
1.00.
This European bird, known to many of the old country gunners
as the Ringed Dotterell, and closely allied to our well-known Semi-
palmated Plover, was found by Kumlien breeding in numbers on
the western shore of Cumberland Bay. The same observer reports
it common also at Disco Island, Greenland. It is not known to
RINGED PLOVER. 67
occur regularly elsewhere in America, though one example has
been taken at Great Slave Lake; but it is found throughout Europe,
and ranges over northern Asia to Bering’s Straits. It is met with
throughout the entire year in England, breeding as far south as
Kent and Sussex, and ranges north to lat. 80° 45’, and south (in
winter) to the shores of Africa.
Seebohm thinks that the bird found nesting in the British
Islands is a larger and lighter-colored race, laying a larger egg;
and he proposes to make it a sub-species and name it Azaticula
major.
Like others of the family, the Ringed Plover feeds on small thin-
shelled crustaceans, such as shrimps, etc., and sea-worms, as well
as on insects, which it catches with much adroitness; and with its
food it mingles small pebbles and particles of sand to aid digestion.
The usual note of this bird is a melodious whistle; but the call-
note is harsh, while the cry of alarm, though noisy, is rather plain-
tive. This last note has been written Jew-y-ef and foo-it. The
male, however, uses a distinct call-note during the mating-season.
It is the same note as the usual call, but repeated so rapidly it forms
a trill, and it is also delivered in more liquid tones.
This Plover is described by Seebohm as a wild, wary bird when
feeding in its winter-quarters, but quite the opposite when on its
breeding-grounds inthe Far North. It there becomes an unobtru-
sive little creature, neither shy nor wary, and rarely displaying more
than a shade of anxiety in its actions, — running but a little distance
from an intruder, or flying to an adjacent knoll to watch his move-
ments; sometimes squatting close to the sand until almost under
one’s feet. It runs with great swiftness, pausing now and then,
and darting away again. Keeping close to the edge of the water,
it follows the receding waves picking up what food may have been
stranded, and hastening shoreward as the waves return.
Note. — A few examples of the MOUNTAIN PLOVER (i gialitis
montana) have been taken in Florida. The usual habitat of this
species is from the Great Plains westward.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.
BEETLE-HEAD. BULL-HEAD. SWISS PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS SQUATAROLA.
CuHar. Summer plumage: above, spotted black and white or ashy;
beneath, black Winter plumage. above, spotted black and brownish yel-
low ; beneath, black mixed with white. Distinguished from all other
Plovers by having a hind toe. Length about 12 inches.
Nest. On dry hill-side ; a slight depression in the soil, lined with a few
leaves and bits of grass.
Leggs. 4, buffish olive or greenish drab thickly marked with brown-
ish black; 2.00 X 1.40
The Black-bellied or large Whistling Field Plover is met
with in most parts of the northern hemisphere, and in America
is known to breed from the open grounds of Pennsylvania to
the very extremity of the Arctic regions. It is common around
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. 69
Hudson Bay. How far this bird extends its migrations to the
southward is not satisfactorily ascertained, though there is little
doubt but that it ranges to the confines of Mexico, and it has
been seen in considerable numbers in Louisiana and the Car-
olinas during the winter. According to Wilson it generally
arrives in the inland parts of Pennsylvania in the latter part of
April; and less timid than the Golden Plover, it often selects
the ploughed field for the site of its nest, where the ordinary
fare of earth-worms, larve, beetles, and winged insects now
abounds. The nest, as in most of the birds of this class, is
very slightly and quickly made of a few blades of stubble or
withered grass, in which are generally deposited four eggs,
large for the size of the bird (being scarcely a line short of two
inches in length), of a cream color slightly inclining to olive,
and speckled nearly all over with small spots and blotches of
lightish brown, and others of a subdued tint, bordering on
lavender purple ; the specks, as usual, more numerous towards
the large end. In the more temperate parts of the United
States it rears often two broods in the season, though only one
in Massachusetts, where, indeed, the nests are of rare occur-
rence. During the summer the young and old now feed
much upon various kinds of berries, particularly those of the
early bramble, called dew-berries ; and their flesh at this time
is highly esteemed. About the last week in August the Betel-
headed Plovers (as they are called in New England) descend
with their young to the borders of the sea-coast, where they
assemble in great numbers from all their Northern breeding-
places. Now passing an unsettled and roving life, without
any motive to local attachment, they crowd to such places as
promise them the easiest and surest means of subsistence ;
at this time small shell-fish, shrimps, and other minute marine
animals, as well as the grasshoppers, which abound in the
fields, constitute their principal fare.
The Black-bellied Plover is at all times extremely shy and
watchful, uttering a loud, rather plaintive whistling note as it
flies high and circling in the air, and is so often noisy, partic-
ularly in the breeding-season, as to have acquired among many
7O WADING BIRDS.
of the gunners along the coast the name of the Black-bellied
Killdeer. From a supposed similarity, probably in the note, it
is remarkable that the inhabitants of the Faroe Islands de-
nominate the Oyster-catcher Aze/der, and in Iceland the male
is named “#U/dur, and the female #//dra. Indeed, the compass
of voice in a great portion of this tribe of birds, more or less
related to the Plovers, is remarkable for its similarity. The
Betel-headed Plovers usually linger round the sea-coast in the
Middle States till the commencement of November, when,
the frosts beginning sensibly to diminish their prospect of sub-
sistence, they instinctively move off towards the South, proceed-
ing probably, at this time, under the shade of twilight, as
moving flocks are nowhere, as far as 1 can learn, seen by day.
About the middle of September in the marshes of Chelsea
(Mass.), contiguous to the beach, they sometimes assemble at
day-break in flocks of more than a thousand individuals
together, and soon after disperse themselves in companies to
feed, on the shores, upon small shell-fish and marine insects.
This crowding instinct takes place a short time previous to
their general migration southward.
Wilson originated the error that this species breeds in the
mountains of Pennsylvania, and Audubon, Richardson, Nuttall,
and others have helped to perpetuate it. There is no good evidence
obtainable that the bird has nested south of the Hudson Bay dis-
trict, but numerous observers have met with it in summer on the
Barren Ground region and along the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
It has been found in winter in the West Indies and South Amer-
ica On its spring migration it goes north by various routes, —
across the interior as well as along the coast-line, —but on the
Atlantic shores it is more abundant in autumn than in spring.
I did not meet with any examples during spring on the Bay of
Fundy or the New Brunswick shores of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
but Mr. Boardman informs me that the species occurs sparingly at
the mouth of the St. Croix River. Stearns reported it common in
southern Labrador, but Turner did not find it at Ungava.
Note. — Occasionally an example of the Lapwinc (Vanellus
vanellus) —a European species — visits Greenland. It has been
taken on Long Island also.
TURNSTONE.
CHICKEN PLOVER. BRANT BIRD. RED-LEGGED PLOVER.
ARENARIA INTERPRES.
CHAR. Head, neck, breast, and shoulders variegated black and white;
back streaked chestnut and black; wings with band of white; rump
white; tail-coverts and most of tail-feathers dark brown; beneath, white.
Legs and feet orange red; hind toe turning ¢vward. Bill black, stout,
and acute. Length 9 inches.
Vest. Under shelter of bushes or among herbage near the sea-shore;
a slight depression, lined with a few leaves and blades of grass or weed-
stems.
Legs. 2-4 (usually 4); greenish gray, spotted and streaked with
brown and bluish ash; 1.60 X 1.10.
These singular marine birds are not only common to the
whole northern hemisphere, but extend their colonies even to
Senegal and the Cape of Good Hope, in the southern half of
the globe. Their favorite breeding-resorts are, however, con-
fined to the inclement regions of the North, to which they are
in no haste to return, but linger along the coast in the tem-
perate climates for several months before they attain to the
remote and desolate shores of their nativity. Their southern
72 WADING BIRDS.
progress in America is in all probability continued as far as the
tropics, since their race even extends itself into the other hemi-
sphere. Buffon, in fact, figures a specimen of the young bird
from Cayenne. In New Jersey, according to Wilson, these
birds arrive in the month of April, and there linger until June,
very soon after which they are seen at their breeding-quarters
on the shores of Hudson Bay and along the desolate strand of
the Arctic Sea, where they have been met with by the northern
navigators as far as the 75th parallel. They already begin to
depart from these remote boreal regions in August, in which
month, and even towards the close of July, I have seen young
birds for sale in the market of Boston. They visit the shores
of Great Britain also about the same time, arriving thence
probably from the Arctic shores of Siberia. Five or six weeks
later they are observed to visit the borders of the Delaware,
and proceed onward to the South as the weather increases in
coldness. The most southern summer residence of these birds
known, if Mr. Flemming be correct, is the Scottish isles of Zet-
land. They are also said to inhabit the isles of the Baltic
during summer. Ina mere depression of the sand or gravel,
along the sea-coast, they are said to drop their eggs, which are
four in number, and according to Mr. Hutchins are of an
olive green spotted with blackish brown.
This bird is naturally of a wild and solitary disposition,
coursing along the shore by pairs or in small families which
have been bred together. In the months of May and June, in
New Jersey, they almost wholly feed upon the spawn of the
king-crab, or horse-foot (Monoculus polyphemus, Lin.), which
affords them and other animals an abundant and almost inex-
haustible supply.
The Turnstone, while flying, often utters a loud twittering
note, and runs at times with its wings lowered, but is less swift
in its movements than most of the Sandpipers, and more
patient and intent in obtaining its fare. Like the Wood-
peckers, it is content to search over the same place for a con-
siderable length of time ; the mechanism of its bill seems well
provided for this purpose, and it is often seen in this way
WHOOPING CRANE. 73
turning over stones and pebbles from side to side in search
of various marine worms and insects. Thé«young feed also
upon shrimps and different kinds of small shell-fish, particu-
larly minute mussels which are occasionally cast up by the
tides. According to Catesby, this habit, of turning over
stones in quest of insects is retained by the species even
when subjected to domestication.
The Turnstone is a common spring and autumn migrant through-
out this Eastern region, but near the Atlantic is found only on the
sea-shore. It makes its nest in the Arctic regions, from Hudson
Bay northward, and during the winter ranges throughout South
America to the Straits of Magellan.
The food of these birds is the usual shore-bird diet; but they
have been known to thrive upon boiled rice and bread soaked in
milk, They make interesting pets, as they are gentle and confid-
ing, and are readily reconciled to confinement.
WHOOPING CRANE.
GREAT WHITE CRANE.
GRUS AMERICANA.
Cuar. General plumage white; outer wing-feathers, or primaries,
black ; crown and cheeks nearly naked and colored orange red, the
sparse hair-like feathers black; tail covered with long and graceful
plume-feathers. Bill greenish yellow, 6 inches long, stout, and pointed.
Length over 4 feet.
Nest. Ona dry mound in a marsh or on margin of a swamp; made of
heavy marsh grass and placed on high platform of sedges.
£ggs. 2-3; rough and coarse, bluish ash sometimes tinged with
brown; marked with pale brown; 3.80 X 2.60.
This stately Crane, the largest of all the feathered tribes in
the United States, like the rest of its family dwelling amidst
marshes and dark and desolate swamps, according to the
season is met with in almost every part of North America,
from the islands of the West Indies, to which it retires to pass
the winter, to the utmost habitable regions and fur countries of
the North, A few of these birds hibernate in the warmer parts
of the Union, and some have been known to linger through
74 WADING BIRDS.
the whole of the inclement season in the swamps of New
Jersey, near to Cape May. When discovered in their retreats,
they are observed wandering along the marshes and muddy
flats near the sea-shore, in quest of reptiles, fish, and marine
worms. Occasionally they are seen sailing along from place
to place with a heavy, silent flight, elevated but little above
the surface of the earth. Ever wary, and stealing from the
view of all observers, these gaunt shades of something which
constantly avoids the social light impress the mind no less
with curiosity than aversion; and it is surprising that, furtive
and inharmonious as owls, they have not excited the prejudice
of the superstitious. 5:
At times they utter a loud, clear, and piercing cry that may
be heard to a very considerable distance, and which, being
not unaptly compared to the whoop or yell of the savages
when rushing to battle, has conferred upon our bird his pecu-
liar appellation. Other species of the genus possess also the
same sonorous cry. When wounded they attack those who
approach them with considerable vigor, so much so as to have
been known to dart their sharp and dagger-like bill through
the incautious hand held out for their capture. Indeed,
according to Dr. Richardson, they have sometimes driven the
fowler fairly out of the field.
In the winter season, dispersed from their native haunts in
quest of subsistence, they are often seen prowling in the low
grounds and rice-fields of the Southern States in quest of
insects, grain, and reptiles; they swallow also mice, moles,
rats, and frogs with great avidity, and may therefore be looked
upon at least as very useful scavengers. They are also at
times killed as game, their flesh being well flavored, as they
do not subsist so much upon fish as many other birds of this
family. It is with difficulty, however, that they can be
approached or shot, as they are so remarkably shy and vigilant.
They build their nests on the ground, after the manner of the
common Crane of Europe, selecting a tussock of long grass in
some secluded and solitary swamp, raising its sides to suit
their convenience so as to sit upon it with extended legs. The
WHOOPING CRANE. 75
eggs are two in number, as large as those of the swan, and of a
bluish-white color blotched with brown.
Whooping Cranes rise with difficulty from the ground, flying
low for a time, and thus afford an easy mark for the sportsman.
At other times they fly around in wide circles as if reconnoi-
tring the surrounding country for fresh feeding ground ;
occasionally they rise spirally into the air to a great height,
mingling their screaming voices together, which are still so
loud, when they are almost out of sight, as to resemble a pack
of hounds in full cry. Early in February Wilson met with
several of these Cranes in South Carolina; at the same season
and in the early part of the following month I heard their
clamorous cries nearly every morning around the enswamped
ponds of West Florida and throughout Georgia, so that many
individuals probably pass either the winter or the whole year
in the southern extremity of the Union.
It is impossible to describe the clamor of one of these roost-
ing flocks, which they begin usually to utter about sunrise.
Like the howling-monkeys, or preachers, of South America (as
they are called), a single individual seemed at first as if
haranguing or calling out to the assembled company, and after
uttering a round number of discordant, sonorous, and braying
tones, the address seemed as if received with becoming ap-
plause, and was seconded with a reiteration of jingling and
trumpeting hurrahs. The idea conveyed by this singular asso-
ciation of sounds was so striking, quaint, and ludicrous that I
could never hear it without smiling at the conceit. Captain
Amidas (the first Englishman who ever set foot in North
America) thus graphically describes their clamor on his land-
ing on the isle of Wokokou, off the coast of North Carolina, in
the month of July: “Such a flock of Cranes (the most part
white) arose under us, with such a cry, redoubled by many
echoes, as if an army of men had shouted all together.” But
though this display of their discordant calls may be amusing,
the bustle of their great migrations and the passage of their
mighty armies fills the mind with wonder. In the month of
December, 1811, while leisurely descending on the bosom of
76 WADING BIRDS.
the Mississippi in one of the trading boats of that period, I
had an opportunity of witnessing one of these vast migrations
of the Whooping Cranes, assembled by many thousands from
all the marshes and impassable swamps of the North and West.
The whole continent seemed as if giving up its quota of the
species to swell the mighty host. Their flight took place in
the night, down the great aérial valley of the river, whose
southern course conducted them every instant towards warmer
and more hospitable climes. The clangor of these numerous
legions passing along high in the air seemed almost deafening ;
the confused cry of the vast army continued with the length-
ening procession, and as the vocal call continued nearly
throughout the whole night without intermission, some idea
may be formed of the immensity of the numbers now assem-
bled on their annual journey to the regions of the South.
The Whooping Crane is almost entirely confined to the central
portions of the continent, breeding from about the forty-third par-
allel northward, and wintering in Texas and the swampy interior of
Florida. It is doubtful if this species ever occurred in New Eng-
land, and at this day it is not seen near the Atlantic to the north of
the Chesapeake. It is a rare spring and fall migr int in Ohio, and
a few pairs nest annually in the prairie region of Illinois.
LITTLE BROWN CRANE.
GRUS CANADENSIS.
Cuar. General color bluish gray, washed in places with tawny;
cheeks and throat ashy, sometimes white ; crown partially covered with
black hair-like feathers ; wings ashy brown; bill blackish. Young brown-
ish gray washed with tawny. Length about 3 feet.
Nest. On the marshy bank of a river or pond; a hollow in the turf
lined with dry grass.
£ggs. Usually 2; olive drab or ashy yellow or sea-green, marked with
brown; 3.65 X 2.30.
For the distribution of this species, see the account of the Sand:
hill Crane.
SANDHILL CRANE, V7
SANDHILL CRANE.
BROWN CRANE.
GRUS MEXICANA.
Cuar. Similar to the Little Brown Crane, but larger. Length about
feet.
‘ Nest and Zggs. Similar to the smaller race. The eggs larger; 4.00
X 2.45.
This species, scarcely inferior to the americana in magni-
tude, visits all parts of the fur countries in summer up to the
shores of the Arctic Sea, and is indeed, according to the
season, spread more or less throughout North America, having
been observed in Mexico, Louisiana, and Florida. It also
probably breeds in the interior of the continent, as Major
Long saw it in the Illinois country on the 15th of July. As
early as the 7th of February Kalm observed flocks passing
over New Jersey and Pennsylvania on their way either to the
North or West; but as the Atlantic coast has become more
settled and populous, these shy birds have, for the most part,
altered their route, and now proceed more within the wilder
interior of the continent. In May they are seen about Hudson
Bay; and like the Whooping Crane, which they resemble in
manners, they nest on the ground, laying two eggs, of an oil
green, irregularly and rather thickly spotted with yellowish
brown and umber, the spots confluent and dark on the greater
end. The flesh is accounted good food, resembling that of the
Swan (Cygnus buccinator) in flavor.
It is not surprising that the older writers should have treated
canadensis and mexicana as one species, for in appearance and in
general distribution they are very similar, though the larger of the
two may be termed a Southern race, as it breeds south to Florida,
while the smaller race breeds north to the Arctic regions; but both
forms’ are found on the Western plains.
Along the valley of the Mississippi these birds are very abun-
dant; but excepting an occasional wanderer, they are seen to the
eastward of that river in Georgia and Florida only. One example
of the Little Brown Crane has peen shot in Rhode Island and
another in South Cavolina.
78 WADING BIRDS.
GREAT BLUE HERON.
BLUE CRANE.
ARDEA HERODIAS.
Cuar. Genera] color ashy blue, darker on the wings; thighs and
edge of wings chestnut; crest white, bordered by black, from which ex-
tend two long, slender black feathers ; spots of dusky and chestnut on
front of the neck; under parts dusky, broadly striped with white ; long
and slender plumes of pale pearly gray hang from the breast and fall
gracefully over the wings (these plumes are wanting in the autumn) ; bill
longer than the head, stout, and acute, of yellow color; legs and feet
black. Length about 42 to 50 inches.
Nest. Usually with a community situated in a sycamore or cypress
swamp, or (at the North) in a grove of deciduous trees; placed on the
upper branches of tall trees, — sometimes on bare rocks; made of small
dry twigs, and lined each year with fresh green twigs.
Eggs. 3-5 (usually 4); greenish blue; 2.50 X 1.50.
The Great Heron of America, nowhere numerous, may be
considered as a constant inhabitant of the Atlantic States, from
New York to East Florida, in the storms of winter seeking out
open springs, muddy marshes subjected to the overflow of
tides, or the sheltered recesses of the cedar and cypress swamps
contiguous to the sea-coast. As a rare or accidental visitor,
it has been found even as far north as Hudson Bay, and com-
monly passes the breeding-season in small numbers along the
coasts of all the New England States and the adjoining parts
of British America. Mr. Say also observed this species at
Pembino, in the 49th parallel. Ancient natural heronries of
this species occur in the deep maritime swamps of North and
South Carolina ; similar associations for breeding exist also in
the lower parts of New Jersey. Its favorite and long-fre-
quented resorts are usually dark and enswamped solitudes or
boggy lakes, grown up with tall cedars, and entangled with an
under-growth of bushes and Kalmia laurels. These recesses
defy the reclaiming hand of cultivation, and present the same
gloomy and haggard landscape they did to the aborigines of
the forest, who, if they existed, might still pursue through the
tangled mazes of these dismal swamps the retreating bear and
GREAT BLUE HERON. 79
timorous deer. From the bosom of these choked lakes, and
arising out of the dark and pitchy bog, may be seen large
clumps of the tall cypress (Cupressus disticha), like the in-
numerable connecting columns of the shady mangrove, for
sixty or more feet rising without a branch ; and their spreading
tops, blending together, form a canopy so dense as almost to
exclude the light from beneath their branches. In the tops of
the tallest of these tree the wary Herons, associated to the
number of ten ar fifteen pair, construct their nests, each one
in the top of a single tree; these are large, formed of coarse
sticks, and merely lined with smaller twigs. The eggs, gene-
rally four, are somewhat larger than those of the hen, of a
light-greenish blue, and destitute of spots. The young are seen
abroad about the middle of May, and become extremely fat
and full grown before they make any effective attempts to fly.
They raise but a single brood; and when disturbed at their
eyries, fly over the spot, sometimes honking almost like a
goose, and at others uttering a loud, hollow, and guttural grunt.
Fish is the principal food of the Great Herons, and for this
purpose, like an experienced angler, they often wait for that
condition of the tide which best suits their experience and
instinct. At such times they are seen slowly sailing out from
their inland breeding-haunts during the most silent and cool
period of the summer’s day, selecting usually such shallow
inlets as the ebbing tide leaves bare or accessible to their
watchful and patient mode of prowling; here, wading to the
knees, they stand motionless amidst the timorous fry till some
victim coming within the compass of their wily range is as
instantly seized by the powerful bill of the Heron as if it were
the balanced poniard of the assassin or the unerring pounce
of the Osprey. If large, the fish is beaten to death, and com-
monly swallowed with the head descending, as if to avoid any
obstacle arising from the reversion of the fins or any hard
external processes. On land the Herons have also their fare,
as they are no less successful anglers than mousers, and ren-
der an important service to the farmer in the destruction
they make among most of the reptiles and meadow shrews.
80 ; WADING BIRDS.
Grasshoppers, other large insects, and particularly dragon-flies
they are very expert at striking, and occasionally feed upon
the seeds of the pond-lilies contiguous to their usual haunts.
Our species, in all probability, as well as the European Heron,
at times also preys upon young birds which may be acciden-
tally straggling near their solitary retreats. The foreign kind
has been known to swallow young snipes and other birds
when they happen to come conveniently within reach.
The Heron, though sedate in its movements, flies out with
peculiar ease, often ascending high and proceeding far in its
annual migrations. When it leaves the coast and traces on
wing the meanders of the creek or river, it is believed to
prognosticate rain; and when it proceeds downwards, dry
weather. From its timorous vigilance and wildness it is very
difficult to approach it with a gun; and unheeded as a depre-
dator on the scaly fry, it is never sought but as an object of
food, and for this purpose the young are generally preferred.
The present is very nearly related to the Common Heron
of Europe, which appears to be much more gregarious at its
breeding-places than ours; for Pennant mentions having seen
as many as eighty nests on one tree, and Montague saw a
heronry on a small island in a lake in the north of Scotland
whereon there was only one scrubby oak-tree, which being
insufficient to contain all the nests, many were placed on the
ground sooner than the favorite situation should be abandoned.
The decline in the amusement of hawking has now occasioned
but little attention to the preservation of heronries, so that
nine or ten of these nurseries are nearly all that are known to
exist at present in Great Britain. ‘Not to know a Hawk from
a Heronshaw” (the former name for a Heron) was an old
adage which arose when the diversion of Heron-hawking was
in high fashion; and it has since been corrupted into the ab-
surd vulgar proverb, “ not to know a hawk from a handsaw’”’ !
As the Rooks are very tenacious of their eyries, and piratical to
all their feathered neighbors, it might be expected that they
would at times prove bad and encroaching neighbors to the
quiet Herons; and I have been credibly informed by a friend
GREAT BLUE HERON. 81
that at Mr. Wilson’s, at Dallam Tower, near Milthorp in West-
moreland, a battle took place betwixt the Rooks and Herons
for the possession of certain trees and old nests which was
continued for five days in succession, with varying success and
loss of life on both sides, when, I believe, they at length came
to the sage conclusion that their betters had at times acceded
to after an equally fruitless contest; namely, to leave things
in statu guo ante bellum.
The European Heron appears to give a preference to fresh-
water fish, and for the purpose of taking its prey, gently wades
into the water where they abound, and standing on one leg up
to the knee, with its head drawn in, reclined upon its breast,
it quietly watches the approach of its prey. It has been re-
marked by many that the ftsh generally swarm around the
Herons, so as to afford an ample supply without much exer-
tion ; and Bechstein remarks, after repeated observations, that
the source of this attraction to the Heron is merely the excre-
ment of the bird, which the fish, according to experiment,
devour with avidity. Its time of fishing, like that of our own
species, is usually before or after sunset. Though there is no
ground for believing that the Heron acquires a macilent con-
stitution by privation, it is certain that in Europe, from a scar-
city of food, it becomes extremely lean. It is known frequently
to feed by moonlight, at which time it becomes tolerably fat,
being then unmolested ; and it is observed that the fish at this
time come into the shoaler waters.
The Great Blue Heron is not an abundant bird, but it is found
more or less commonly throughout this Eastern region north to
about the 48th parallel.
There are two heronries of this species within a few miles of St.
John, N. B., where one hundred to two hundred pairs breed annu-
ally. They are in groves of white birch about a mile back from
the river. I have found this bird also in the heart of the wilderness
districts fishing in the smaller streams and along the margins of the
rivers.
Note. — A few examples of the BLUE HERON (Ardea cinerea) —
the “Common Heron” of European books — have been taken in
southern Greenland.
VOL. Il. — 6
82 WADING BIRDS.
WARD'S HERON.
ARDEA WARDI.
Cuar. Similar to the Great Blue Heron, but larger and of paler
tint; under parts white, narrowly streaked with black; plumes silvery
gray; legs and feet olive. Length 48 to 54 inches.
Nest. With a community in a swampy grove; placed on a high branch
of a tall mangrove; made of twigs and lined with fresh green twigs.
Lges. 3-4; bluish green; 2.65 X 1.85.
This species was first described by Mr. Ridgway, from specimens
taken by Mr. Charles W. Ward in 1881.
There has been considerable discussion concerning the status of
these large Herons, some authorities expressing the opinion that
both Ward’s Heron and the Great White Heron are but geogra-
phical races of the Great Blue Heron; but the weight of opinion is
in favor of considering the three as distinct species.
Ward’s Heron is said to be dichromatic,— having a dark and
light phase of plumage; the light-colored birds being indistinguish-
able from occidentalis.
In habits the present species does not differ from the Great Blue
Heron; but Ward’s Heron has been found in Florida only.
GREAT WHITE HERON.
FLORIDA HERON. WURDEMAN’S HERON.
ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS.
Cuar. White phase. Plumage white; crest with two long narrow
plumes, and plumes droop over the breast and wings also; bill yellow;
legs yellow and olive, feet brown. Blue phase. Similar to herodias, but
larger and lighter in color,— the head and crest white, and the under parts
with less black ; legs and feet yellowish olive. Length 45 to 54 inches.
Nest. With a community; placed usually on a low branch of a man-
grove, sometimes on a high branch; a platform of dry twigs.
Eggs. 3-4; bluish green; size variable, average about 2.60 X 1.85.
This is doubtless the “Great White Crane” mentioned by
Nuttall as found by Audubon in Florida. The description was not
published until 1835, after Nuttall’s work had been issued.
In 1859 Spencer Baird described the blue-colored bird as a dis-
GREAT WHITE HERON. 83
tinct species, which he named A. wurdemanni,; and in the “ Key,”
issued in 1872, Coues also gave wurdemannui specific rank. In the
“ History of North American Birds,” issued in 1884, for which work
Baird and Ridgway contributed the technical matter, wurdemanni
was relegated to the synonymy of occ¢dentalis ; and to the opinion
thus emphasized, that the blue color merely represents a dichroma-
tic phase of the White Heron, Coues added the weight of his au-
thority in the 1887 edition of the “Key.” Ridgway, however,
in his “ Manual,” also published in 1887, returned to Baird’s first
decision, and gave wurdemanni specific rank; but the A.O.U.
still retain it on their “hypothetical list,’ adding in a note that it
is believed to be the colored phase of occzdentalis or an abnormal
specimen of wardz. This last suggestion has been made by sev-
eral writers as a possible solution of the problem which these
birds offer, while others have contended that both blue and white
specimens, as well as those referred to wardz, are but variations of
the Great Blue Heron. I have treated the blue bird as a phase of
the present species partly because this seemed the most conve-
nient pigeon-hole in which to place the fact of its existence, but
more especially because I think this is where it will finally rest.
The difficulty in reaching a decisive solution of this problem lies
chiefly in the fact that very little reliable evidence has been ob-
tained. The birds are found only in an out-of-the-way corner of
southwestern Florida and in Jamaica, and even in these localities
are not common, — indeed, blue-colored specimens are quite rare.
And the problem is likely to remain unsolved for many a year to
come, if not forever; for the plume-hunters have discovered the
haunts of the White Herons, and are gathering them in, — shooting
the birds, cutting off their plumes, and throwing the carcases to
the Vultures, — in an effort to meet the demands of fashion.
In habits the White Heron does not differ materially from its
more common congeners. It is a little less inclined for companion-
ship, and is somewhat fiercer.
Examples of this species have been taken in Indiana and Illinois,
but these were probably accidental wanderers.
84. WADING BIRDS.
.
AMERICAN EGRET.
ARDEA EGRETTA.
Cwar. Plumage white; no crest; long silky plume-feathers, from the
back, fall over the wings: and tail; bill yellow; legs and feet black.
Length about 38 inches.
Nest. With a community amid a swamp or on the border of a lake;
placed on a high branch of a cypress or mangrove tree, sometimes on a
low bush close to the water; made of twigs.
£ggs. 2-5; bluish green; size variable, average 2.30 X 1.50.
This tall and elegant Heron is in America chiefly confined
to the warmer and more temperate regions. From Guiana,
and even far beyond the equator in South America, it is seen
to reside as far to the north as the State of New York. In the
old continent the very nearly allied A. ala is met with on
the borders of the Caspian and Black Seas, on the shores of
the Irtish and the lakes of Tartary, even as far as the 53d
parallel ; and a straggler is now and then met with in Great
Britain. Towards the close of February our species is seen
to arrive in Georgia from its warmer hibernal resorts. At all
times it appears to have a predilection for swamps, rice-fields,
and the low, marshy shores of rivers and lagoons, where from
its size and color it becomes conspicuous at a distance, yet
from its vigilance and timidity rarely allows of an approach
within gunshot. It is known to breed in several of the
great cedar-swamps in the lower maritime parts of New
Jersey. Like most of the tribe, it associates in numbers at
the eyries, and the structure and materials of the nest are
entirely similar to those of the Snowy Heron. The eggs,
about four, are of a pale blue color. In July and August, the
young are seen abroad in the neighboring meadows and
marshes in flocks of twenty or thirty together. It is par-
ticularly frequent in the large and deep tide ditches in the
vicinity of Philadelphia. Its food, as usual, consists of frogs,
small fish, lizards, mice, and moles, insects, small water-snakes,
and at times the seeds of the pond-lilies.
AMERICAN EGRET. 85
This Egret does not occur regularly near the Atlantic coast north
of New Jersey, but it is a rather common visitor to Ohio, and
a small number of the birds are seen every year in the southern
portions of Ontarioand Illinois. Stragglers are found occasionally
in New England, and a few have been met with on the Bay of
Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The birds are said to breed no farther north than Virginia and
Illinois, though wandering beyond these latitudes after the young
broods are independent of assistance.
The food of this bird consists chiefly of small fish, frogs, lizards,
and such ; but it refuses nothing eatable that comes within its reach,
and is expert at catching mice and insects. Although shy when in
a wild state, it is easily reconciled to captivity, says Dr. Brewer;
and its elegant plumage and graceful carriage combine to make it
an attractive ornament to courtyard or garden.
Unfortunately, and to man’s, or woman’s, discredit, very few of
these birds are now to be seen, — they have been slaughtered for
their plumes. Mr. W. E. D. Scott, who is familiar with the
heronries of Florida, tells us of one of these breeding-grounds,
where “thousands” were nesting six years before, but was en-
tirely deserted when he visited it in 1887. He saw only two or
three frightened birds; the “thousands” had: been exterminated
by the plume-hunters.
“Atle
Sal
SNOWY HERON.
LITTLE WHITE EGRET. SMALL WHITE HERON.
ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA.
Cuar. Plumage pure white; crest long, with numerous elongated
hair-like plumes extending down the back of the neck; plumes on the
breast and back long and hair-like, those of the back reaching to the end
of the tail or beyond, and recurved at the tips. (These plumes are worn
only during the nesting season, and are not seen on young birds.) Bill
black, yellow at the base; legs black, feet yellow. Length 20 to 27
inches.
Nest. With a community; placed usually on a low cedar or willow, —
amere platform of dry twigs.
Eggs. 2-5 (usually 4); greenish blue: 1.85 X 1.25.
This elegant Heron, so nearly related to the little Egret of
Europe, inhabits the marshes and swamps of the sea-coast
nearly from the isthmus of Darien to the estuary of the St.
Lawrence, generally omitting, however, the maritime range of
SNOWY HERON. 87
the central parts of New England. It arrives in the United
States from the South early in April, and passing inland, at
length proceeds up the valley of the Mississippi, and even
ascends the borders of the Arkansas, thus pursuing an extensive
inland route to the final destination in the wilds of Canada.
It departs from the Middle States, towards its hibernal desti-
nation in the South, in the course of the month of October.
Like most of the summer visitors of this family, the Snowy
Heron confines its residence to the salt-marshes, where its bril-
liant whiteness renders it a conspicuous object at a distance. Its
food, as usual, consists of small crabs, worms, snails, frogs, and
lizards, to which fare it also adds at times the seeds of the pond-
lilies and other aquatic plants. About the middle of May nest-
building commences ; and Wilson describes one of these heron-
ries situated in a sequestered clump of red cedars, at Summer’s
Beach, on the coast of Cape May. The spot chosen, with the
usual sagacity of the tribe, was separated on the land side by
a fresh-water pond, and sheltered from the view of the Atlantic
by ranges of sand-hills. The cedars, though low, were so
densely crowded together as scarcely to permit a passage
through them. Some of the trees contained three or four nests
in each, constructed wholly of sticks. The eggs, about three
in number, were of a pale greenish-blue color, and measured
one inch and three quarters in length. On approaching the
premises, the birds silently rose in great numbers ; and alighting
on the tops of the neighboring trees, they appeared to watch
the result of the intruding visit in silent anxiety. Assembled
with them were numbers of the Night Herons, and two or three
of the purple-headed species. Great quantities of egg-shells
lay scattered under the trees, occasioned by the depredations
of the Crows who were hovering in the vicinity. Wherever the
Snowy Herons happen to wander. through the marshes, or
along the borders of the rivers and inlets, they regularly return
in the evening to their favorite roost in the cedars of the
beach.
The young, of both this and the preceding species, are
generally fat, and esteemed by some as palatable food.
88 WADING BIRDS.
The Snowy Heron occurs regularly, in summer, from the Gulf
States to Long Island. It is occasionally seen also along the
Atlantic coast as far as Nova Scotia, and in the interior has been
taken in Ohio and Ontario.
One writer has called this species a scraper, or raker, because it
uses its legs and claws to start from their hiding-places the animals
it desires to secure for food. In this movement it is said to sur-
pass all other species in adroitness and rapidity, using the feet so
rapidly as to cause the whole body to quiver. The scraping is done
sometimes in water so deep that it reaches to the bird’s belly.
Our bird wears the most beautiful plumes of all the Herons, and
in consequence has been nearly exterminated by the plume-hunters.
Instead of the thousands that gathered at their heronries a few
years ago, only a few scattered birds can now be found.
REDDISH EGRET.
PEALE’S EGRET.
ARDEA RUFESCENS.
Cuar. Colored phase. General plumage grayish blue, darker on the
back, paler below; head and neck with long, narrow feathers, — longest
on the back of the neck and the lower part of the breast, — of rich red-
dish brown, sometimes tinged with purple; scapular plumes and train
— the latter extending beyond the tail — grayish blue, tinged with brown
towards the ends; bill pink, tipped with black; legs blue, claws black.
White phase. Plumage entirely white: bill pink, tipped with black;
legs and feet olive, soles yellow. Length about 30 inches.
Young of both phases similar to the adult, but lacking the nuptial
plumes. Sometimes the blue and white colors are displayed by the same
specimen ina “ pied” form.
Nest, With a community close by the sea-shore; placed on a low
tree or bush, sometimes on the ground, —a platform of dry twigs.
Z£ggs. 2-6 (usually 3); pale blue tinged with green; size variable,
average about 1.90 X 1.45.
This is another of those dichromatic species that have caused
confusion and controversy, and given to both systematists and
book-makers a deal of trouble.
The white phase has in this instance been made to play the
shuttlecock ; and appearing first as a distinct species, under the
name of, “ Peale’s Egret,” it has been tossed hither and yon by the
numerous writers who have laid claim to a solution of the problem
which these varied phases of plumage present. At one time made
out to be the young of A. rufa, later set up as a white phase of
this species, again seized upon by the hungry variety-makers
REDDISH EGRET. 89
eager to convert it into a geographical race, it was at last, through
the conservatism of the A. O. U., laid to rest in that refuge for
questionable cases, the “ hypothetical list,” there to await the
gathering of more decisive data.
In the mean time, as it becomes necessary for me to describe its
characteristics, I treat the white bird as an individual variation or
phase of the present species, because I think this will be its ulti-
mate destiny. But these white specimens have always been com-
paratively rare, — ina flock of thirty birds not more than four or five
will wear white plumes, -— and the plume-hunters may exterminate
them before any naturalist can have any opportunity to make
further study of their origin. Indeed, as I write, the remnant may
be yielding their plumes to the insatiable crew, for the heronries of
the South have been almost wiped out during the last few years.
Nuttall makes no mention of the Reddish Egret, though he does
give a short note telling of the discovery of pealez, —the white
phase. Our bird is not well known even at this day, few observers
having met with it. It occurs regularly within the United States
only in Florida and along the Gulf coast, though examples occa-
sionally wander up the Mississippi valley as far as Illinois.
These birds are said to begin breeding in March, and eggs have
been taken through April. The young are nearly naked when
hatched, wearing nothing but a few patches of down; but it is a
disputed point whether a// the young are white, or a part of them
are blue. Audubon says that they are fed by regurgitation, grow
fast, and soon become noisy. They leave the nest when eno seven
weeks old, fully fledged and able to fly.
The favorite feeding-ground of.these Egrets is a mud flat over
which the outgoing tide leaves but about six to ten inches of water.
In this they stand, and silently and motionless watch for their prey,
or using their feet among the water-plants, drive the fish — their
principal food —from under cover. If they miss the object at
their first dart, they give chase; and though appearing so clumsy
and awkward as to present a ridiculous figure while in pursuit of
a scudding fish, are much more expert at this chasing than are any
others of their kin. The red-and-blue specimens and the white
always gather in one flock, and it has been remarked that they
quarrel with each other persistently, — white against white, as well
as white against red; but neither white nor red birds have been
observed to attack any other species.
The flight of this species is strong and graceful, and when two
males combat in mid-air their evolutions are performed with rare
skill. Like many other birds, — aye, like most birds, — this Egret
is less shy during the breeding-season than at other times. Some
observers deny them all credit for shyness, butadmit that they seem
90 WADING BIRDS.
extremely fearless when mate and young demand their protection.
Said Audubon, writing of the fearlessness of the Herons during
this period, “ As the strength of their attachment toward their
mates or progeny increases through the process of time, as is the
case with the better part of our own species, lovers and parents
perform acts of heroism which individuals having no such attach-
ment to each other would never dare to contemplate.” He was of
the opinion that under the influence of affection the shoughts of
birds change; they become careless of themselves, and thus appear
fearless and indifferent to danger. No one can study birds in
the field without becoming convinced that these creatures have
thoughts, and that they are capable of heroic devotion. Few men
will fight more valiantly for home and young than will many of
these timid and gentle birds.
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.
NycTICORAX VIOLACEUS.
Cuar. Genera) plumage ashy blue, darker on wings and tail, paler
beneath; feathers of upper parts with medial stripe of black; dorsa)
plumes narrow and extremely long, reaching beyond the tail ; crown,
patch on side of head, and long narrow plumes creamy yellow; bill stout
and black, sometimes tinged in patches with greenish yellow; legs yellow-
ish green. Young grayish brown, feathers of upper parts with medial
stripe of pale buff. Length 22 to 28 inches.
Nest. In'a community usually near a stream; placed ona lower branch
of a tree, —a mere platform of dry twigs.
£ggs. 3-6 (usually 4); pale and dull blue, slightly tinged with green;
2.00 X 1.45.
This species has been frequently named the White-crowned
Night Heron by authors because the yellow color of the head and
plumes fades very soon after death, and finally the feathers be-
come entirely white. It is found in the warmer portions of this
Eastern Province, breeding in the Carolinas and the Ohio valley,
and south to the Gulf States. It is found also in South America.
Occasionally examples are met with to the northward of the usual
habitat, two having been captured in Massachusetts. i
In habits, as in appearance, this bird differs little from its North-
ern congener, though it is less tamable and not so easily domesti-
cated; rebelling to the end against captivity, and yearning ever
for a return to the freedom of a wild life. Sometimes these birds
search for food during the daytime, but in general they are strictly
nocturnal, and feed as well as migrate at night. Their diet consists
chiefly of small reptiles and young birds.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.
SQUAWK. QUA BIRD.
NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX NA-VIUS.
Cuar. Top of head and back greenish black ; forehead, sides of head,
and throat white; wings and sides of neck bluish gray ; no plumes except-
ing two long narrow white feathers at back of head; lower parts white
tinged with pale creamy yellow. Young: above, grayish brown ; beneath,
dull white, streaked with brownish. Body stout; bill thick and black ;
legs short and yellow. Length 23 to 26 inches.
Vest. In a community situated near the bank of a stream; placed on
an upper branch of a tall tree, — sometimes placed on the ground in a
swamp ; a simple platform of dry twigs.
£egs. 4-6; pale green tinged with blue; 2.00 X I.50.
The Great Night Heron of America extends its migrations
probably to the northern and eastern extremities of the United
92 WADING BIRDS.
States, but is wholly unknown in the high boreal regions of
the continent. In the winter it proceeds as far south as the
tropics, having been seen in the marshes of Cayenne, and their
breeding-stations are known to extend from New Orleans to
Massachusetts. It arrives in Pennsylvania early in the month
of April, and soon takes possession of its ancient nurseries,
which are usually (in the Middle and Southern States) the
most solitary and deeply shaded part of a cedar-swamp, or
some inundated and almost inaccessible grove of swamp-oaks.
In these places, or some contiguous part of the forest, near a
pond or stream, the timorous and watchful flock pass away the
day until the commencement of twilight, when the calls of
hunger and the coolness of evening arouse the dozing throng
into life and activity. At this time, high in the air, the parent
birds are seen sallying forth towards the neighboring marshes
and strand of the sea in quest of food for themselves and
their young; as they thus proceed in a marshalled rank at
intervals they utter a sort of recognition call, like the guttural
sound of the syllable ’Awah, uttered in so hollow and sepulchral
a tone as almost to resemble the retchings of a vomiting person.
These venerable eyries of the Kwah Birds have been occupied
from the remotest period of time by about eighty to a hundred
pairs. When-their ancient trees were levelled by the axe, they
have been known to remove merely to some other quarter of
the same swamp; and it is only when they have been long
teased and plundered that they are ever known to abandon
their ancient stations. Their greatest natural enemy is the
Crow ; and according to the relation of Wilson, one of these
heronries, near Thompson’s Point, on the banks of the Dela-
ware, was at length entirely abandoned through the persecu-
tion of these sable enemies. Several breeding-haunts of the
Kwah Birds occur among the red-cedar groves on the sea-
beach of Cape May ; in these places they also admit the associa-
tion of the Little Egret, the Green Bittern, and the Blue Heron.
In a very secluded and marshy island in Fresh Pond, near Bos-
ton, there likewise exists one of these ancient heronries; and
though the birds have been frequently robbed of their eggs in
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. 93
great numbers by mischievous boys they still lay again imme-
diately after, and usually succeed in raising a sufficient brood.
The nests, always in trees, are-composed of twigs slightly inter-
laced, more shallow and slovenly than those of the Crow; and
though often one, sometimes as many as two or three nests are
built in the same tree. The eggs, about four, are as large as
those of the common hen, and of a pale greenish blue color.
The marsh is usually whitened by the excrements of these
birds; and the fragments of broken egg-shells, old nests, and
small fish which they have dropped while feeding their young,
give a characteristic picture of the slovenly, indolent, and
voracious character of the occupants of these eyries.
On entering these dark and secluded retreats of the Night
Heron, the ear is assailed by the confused and choking noise
uttered by the old and young, which, however, instantly ceases
the moment the intruder is observed; and the whole throng,
lately so clamorous, rise into the air in silence, and fly to the
tops of the trees in some other part of the wood, while parties
of the old birds, of from eight to ten, make occasional recon-
Noitring circuits over the spot, as if to observe what may be
going on in their surprised domicile.
However deficient these nocturnal birds may be in vision
by day, their faculty of hearing is so acute that it is almost
impossible, with every precaution, to penetrate near their resi-
dence without being discovered. As soon as the young are
able to fly, and long before they are capable of sustained
flight, they climb to the highest part of the trees near their
nests, as if to solicit the attention and watch the return and
protection of their officious parents; and yet, with every pre-
caution, the young fall victims to the prowling Hawks, who,
hovering round, make an occasional sweep among their tim-
orous ranks.
About the middle of October the Qua Birds begin to retire
from this part of Massachusetts towards their southern winter
quarters, though a few of the young birds still linger occasion-
ally to the 29th or 30th of that month. Their food consists
chiefly of small fish, which they collect in the twilight or
94 WADING BIRDS.
towards night, and in the wide gullet which commences at the
immediate base of the bill they probably carry a supply for the
use of their young.
In the month of October I obtained two specimens of the
young Night Heron in their second plumage; these were so
extremely fat that the stomach was quite buried in cakes of it
like tallow. Their food had been Ulva latissima, small fish,
grasshoppers, and a few coleopterous insects; so that at this
cool season of the year these birds had ventured out to hunt
their fare through the marsh by day, as well as evening. In
the stomach of one of these birds, towards its upper orifice,
were parasitic worms like tenia. About the time of their
departure the young, in their plumbeous dress, associate
together early in the morning, and proceed in flocks, either
wholly by themselves, or merely conducted by one or two old
birds in a company.
I have visited two heronries of this species in northern New
Brunswick, on streams emptying into the Gulf of St. Lawrence at
about latitude 47°. It is common inthe Muskoka district of Ontario,
and Mr. Gunn reports it numerous at Shoal Lake in Manitoba.
He found the nests placed on the ground among the reeds.
The bird is a common summer resident of New England, though
extremely local in its distribution. The heronry at Fresh Pond,
Cambridge, which was celebrated in former years, has been deserted
for some time.
LITTLE BLUE HERON.
BLUE EGRET.
ARDEA CCERULEA.
Cuar. General plumage dark ashy blue; head and neck rich maroon;
plumes on back of head, breast, and back, the last extending over and
beyond the tail; bill slender, curved at the point, and of blue color shad-
ing to black at the tip; legs and feet black; eyes yellow. Sometimes the
plumage is “ pied,” — of blue and white, — and occasionally it is almost
entirely white, with some traces of blue. The young are usually white,
spotted more or less with blue. Length 22 to 26 inches.
Nest. Usually in a large community or “heronry;” placed on a top
branch of a tree or bush; made of twigs loosely laid.
Eggs. 2-5; bluish green ; size variable, averaging about 1.75 X 1.30.
LITTLE BLUE HERON. 95
The Blue Heron may be considered almost a restricted
native of the warmer climates of the United States, from
whence it migrates at the approach of winter into the tropical
parts of the continent, being found in Cayenne, Mexico, and
the island of Jamaica. The muddy shores of the Mississippi
from Natchez downward are its favorite resort.
In the course of the spring, however, a few migrate to New
England, restricting their visits, like many other of the tender
species, to the confines of the ocean and its adjoining marshes,
where their proper food of reptiles, worms, and insect larve
abound. They also often visit the fresh-water bogs in the
vicinity of their eyries, and move about actively, sometimes
making a run at their prey. Like the Snowy Herons, with
which they sometimes associate, they are also, when the occa-
sion requires, very silent, intent, and watchful. These noc-
turnal and indolent birds appear tacitly to associate and breed
often in the same swamps, leading towards each other, no
doubt, a very harmless and independent life. Patient and
timorous, though voracious in their appetites, their defence
consists in seclusion, and with an appropriate instinct they
seek out the wildest and most insulated retreats in nature.
The undrainable morass grown up with a gigantic and gloomy
forest, imperviously filled with tangled shrubs and rank herb-
age, abounding with disgusting reptiles, sheltering wild beasts,
and denying a foot-hold to the hunter, are among the chosen
resorts of the sagacious Herons, whose uncouth manners, harsh
voice, rank flesh, and gluttonous appetite allow them to pass
quietly through the world as objects at once contemptible and
useless; yet the part which they: perform in the scale of
existence, in the destruction they make amongst reptiles and
insects, affords no inconsiderable benefit to man.
A few of the Blue Herons, for common safety, breed among
the Night Herons, the Snowy species, and the Green Bittern,
among the cedars (or Virginian junipers) on the sea-beach of
Cape May.
The Blue Egret nests regularly, though in small numbers, as
far north as Virginia and Illinois. An occasional straggler has
96 WADING BIRDS.
been taken in New England, and in 1884 one was shot near
Halifax, N. S.
Some naturalists place this among the dichromatic species, while
others consider that the white phase, so called, is seen only in
young birds, — that all the young are white or pied.
LOUISIANA HERON.
ARDEA TRICOLOR RUFICOLLIS.
Cuar. Above, ashy blue, darker on head and neck; crest reddish
purple, excepting the long narrow plume-feathers, which are white;
plumes of the breast mixed, maroon and blue; train of straight hair-like
plumes from the back extending beyond the tail, of light drab color,
lighter towards the tips; under parts white. Length 24 to 27 inches.
Vest. Usually ina community ; placed on a low tree or bush; made of
small twigs.
£ggs. 2-6; blue with a slight tinge of green; 1.75 X 1.35.
This richly apparelled bird, sometimes called the “ Lady of the
Waters,” occurs in numbers in the Carolinas and southward to the
Gulf, and is very abundant in Central America. An occasional
straggler has been found as far north as Long Island and Indiana.
Those who are familiar with the bird’s habits say that it is
extremely sociable, and is usually found in company with other
species, — the White Egret, Blue Heron, Night Heron, etc. In its
movements are combined rare grace and dignity. Even when
hunting for prey it displays less impetuosity than any other of the
group. The usual feeding-place is a sand-bar or shallow pond, and
there it saunters with stately tread, or stands calmly waiting and
watching. Ifa coveted leech or water-bug halts beyond reaching
distance, the Heron stalks upon it in a crouched and cat-like atti-
tude, and then strikes quick and straight. The flight is rather
irregular, but is swifter than that of any other Heron. If one of
a flock is wounded, its companions hover about it with cries of
sympathetic interest.
GREEN HERON. 97
GREEN HERON.
ARDEA VIRESCENS.
CuHar. The smallest of the Heron family, excepting the Least Bittern,
Top of head and crest dark metallic green; rest of head and neck rich
chestnut, sometimes with a tint of maroon; throat with a line of white
with dark spots ; back dark ash, more or less tinged with green; wings
and tail dark green; under parts brownish ash. Length 16 to 20 inches.
Nest. On the border of a swamp or near the margin of a stream,
placed on a branch of tree or bush; made of small twigs loosely laid.
£ggs. 3-6; bright blue of a rather pale shade, strongly tinged witiy
green; 1.50 X 1.15.
The Green Bittern, known in many parts much better by a
contemptible and disgusting name, is the most common and
familiar species of the genus in the United States. Early in
April, or as soon as the marshes are so far thawed as to afford
these birds the means of subsistence, they arrive in Pennsyl-
vania, and soon after are seen in New England, but are
unknown in the remote and colder parts of Canada. Many
winter in the swamps of the Southern States, though others
retire in all probability to the warmer regions of the continent,
as they are observed at that season in the large islands of Hayti
and Jamaica.
In common with other species, whose habits are principally
nocturnal, the Green Bittern seeks out the gloomy retreat of
the woody swamp, the undrainable bog, and the sedgy marsh.
It is also a common hermit on the inundated, dark willow and
alder shaded banks of sluggish streams and brushy ponds,
where it not only often associates with the kindred Kwa Birds
and Great Herons, but frequently with the more petulant herd
of chattering Blackbirds. When surprised or alarmed, it rises
in a hurried manner, uttering a hollow guttural scream and a
'k'w,'k'w,’k’w, but does not fly far, being very sedentary ; and
soon alighting on some stump or tree, looks round with an
outstretched neck, and balancing itself for further retreat,
frequently jets its tail. It sometimes flies high, with neck
reclining and legs extended, flapping its wings and proceed-
VOL. II. — 7
98 WADING BIRDS.
ing with considerable expedition. It is also the least shy of
all our species, as well as the most numerous and widely dis-
persed, being seen far inland, even on the banks of the Mis-
souri, nearly to the River Platte, and frequent near all the
maritime marshes, and near ponds and streams in general. It is
also particularly attracted by artificial ponds for fish, not refrain-
ing even to visit gardens and domestic premises which any
prospect of fare may offer. It is at the same time perhaps as
much in quest of the natural enemy of the fish, the frog, as of
the legitimate tenants of the pond. These bold and intrusive
visits are commonly made early in the morning or towards
twilight, and it not unfrequently, when pressed by hunger, or
after ill-success, turns out to hunt its fare by day, as well as
dusk; and at such times collects various larve, particularly
those of the dragon-fly, with grasshoppers and different kinds
of insects. At other times it preys upon small fish, crabs, and
frogs, for which it often lies patiently in wait till they reappear
from their hiding-places in the water or mud, and on being
transfixed and caught, -—an operation which is effected with
great dexterity, they are commonly beaten to death, if large,
and afterwards swallowed at leisure.
The Small Bittern in the Middle States usually begins to
build about the 15th of April, sometimes in solitary pairs, in
dark and swampy woods, at other times in companies, and as
already remarked, by similarity of taste and habit frequently
joins the heronries of the larger species as its sort of humble
dependant and watchful defender of the general eyry. The
young, as usual, slowly acquire the full use of their limbs, and
remain patiently in the nest until able to fly.
The Green Heron is a common summer resident of New Eng-
land, and though usually rather rare as far north as the Maritime
Provinces, is sometimes quite common there. It is common also
in Ontario and abundant in Ohio, and occurs westward to the
Mississippi and northward to Manitoba. In winter the major por-
tion of these birds retire to the West Indies and northern South
America, though a few remain in the Gulf States.
AMERICAN BITTERN. 99
AMERICAN BITTERN.
STAKE DRIVER.
BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS.
CuarR. Upper parts brownish buff thickly spotted or mottled —
“freckled ” — with reddish brown and black; neck buff; line down the
throat white, spotted with brown; a patch of black or dark brown or gray
on the sides of the neck ; under parts pale buff striped with brown; bill
rather short, stout, and of yellow color; legs yellowish green. Length 25
to 30 inches.
West. In a swamp or reedy marsh, placed on the ground; a thick mat
of coarse grass loosely laid.
£ggs. 3-5; brownish drab, sometimes with an olive tint; 1.90 X 1.45.
The Bittern of America, though apparently nowhere numer-
ous, from its retiring habits, is found in almost every part of
the continent where there exist extensive marshes either
maritime or inland, up to the 58th parallel, and is found
in the morasses and willow-thickets of the interior throughout
the fur countries. From the inclement regions it retires in the
winter, while in other parts it is permanently resident. It is
said to revisit Severn River, at Hudson Bay, about the begin-
ning of June, nesting in the swamps among the sedges. It
breeds also in several parts of Massachusetts, young birds
being met with in the Fresh Pond marshes and other places
in the vicinity of Boston about the middle of summer.
During the day the Night Hen, as it is here called, remains
hidden in the reeds and sedge, and rarely comes out till the
approach of night. When disturbed in its retreat, it flies off
with a hollow ’2wa, or Lowk, howk, and sometimes gives a loud
squeak of alarm:; at this time, as it flies heavily and at no great
height, it is easily shot down. These birds are also sometimes
obtained by lying in wait for them as they sally out in the
evening towards the salt-marshes, in a particular direction,
in quest of food.
In the breeding-season and throughout a great part of the
summer we often hear the loud booming note of this bird from
the marshes of Fresh Pond, morning and evening, and some-
100 WADING BIRDS.
times even during the day. Instead of the dump, or déomp,
however of the true Bittern, the call is something like the
uncouth syllables of ’pump-aii-gah, but uttered in the same
low, bellowing tone.
The cry of the European Bittern, so similar to that of our
own species, is thus elegantly described by Goldsmith in his
“Animated Nature.” “Those who have walked in a summer’s
evening by the sedgy sides of unfrequented rivers must
remember a variety of notes from different water-fowl, — the
loud scream of the Wild Goose, the croaking of the Mallard, the
whining of the Lapwing, and the tremulous neighing of the Jack-
snipe; but of all these sounds there is none so dismally hol-
low as the booming of the Bittern. It is impossible for words
to give those who have not heard this evening call an adequate
idea of its solemnity. It is like the interrupted bellowing of a
bull, but hollower and louder, and is heard at a mile’s dis-
tance, as if issuing from some formidable being that resided at
the bottom of the waters. This is the Bittern, whose wind-
pipe is fitted to produce the sound for which it is remarkable ;
the lower part of it, dividing into the lungs, being supplied
with a thin loose membrane that can be filled with a large
body of air and exploded at pleasure. These bellowings are
chiefly heard from the beginning of spring to the end of
autumn, and are the usual calls during the pairing season.”
The American bird, no less than the true Bittern, is con-
sidered by many as excellent food.
The Bittern is still a familiar bird throughout temperate Nortk
America, breeding from the Middle States northward; but, like
many another bird whose form is familiar, the Bittern’s habits are
known only to the few, and many erroneous opinions of its charac-
teristics have been current.
The “ booming of the Bittern” has been a favorite topic of con-
troversy; but probably that matter has been finally settled by an
account of the performance contributed to “The Auk” for Janu-
ary, 1889, by Mr. Bradford Torrey.
Mr. Torrey described the performer as first filling its crop with
air, opening the bill and shutting it with a click, repeating this
several times. Then, while the bill is kept tightly closed, the air
PI_XI.
1. White Rumped Sand-piper. 4+. Sanderling .
3. Bittern.
2.Knot. ©. Killdeer.
LEAST BITTERN. IOI
from the crop is forced through the throat, producing a deep hol-
low sound in three distinct syllables. The quality of the notes
suggests their being emitted under water; and this has given rise to
the theory, so strongly urged by many writers, that the performer
held its bill under water. The emission of the sound is accom-
panied by convulsive movements, as if the bird was vomiting.
The Bittern’s fondness for retirement has been exaggerated ; for
though it does dwell in the wilderness, — on the marshy margins
of streams and lakes, and in the depths of swamps,—I have
frequently found the nest close to a bustling village; one within
sound of children’s voices playing around a school-house.
LEAST BITTERN.
ARDETTA EXILIS.
CuHar. Adult male: crown, back, and tail black, glossed with green;
narrow stripe of buff on each side of back; back of neck chestnut ; wings
buff and rufous; under parts pale buff. Female: similar to male, but
black of head and back mostly replaced by brown. Length about 13
inches.
Vest. Usually amid the rank grass and rushes on the marshy margin
of a pond; placed on the ground and made of coarse grass or dead
rushes.
£ggs. 3-5; dull white with a pale tinge of blue or green ; 1.20 X 0.95.
The Least Bittern has not so extended a distribution as its larger
congener, but it is found regularly as far north as Massachusetts,
and stragglers have been captured in Maine and New Brunswick.
It is common in southern Ontario, and occurs in Illinois and north
to Manitoba, and breeds south to the Gulf States.
Though a shy bird, courting retirement and rarely appearing
outside the shelter of its reedy haunts, it seems to be indifferent to
adjacent noises. For years some pairs have spent the summer in a
marshy tract close to the busiest district of the town of Brookline,
within a stone’s throw of a street-car track and a playground;
and Fresh Pond marsh, near Cambridge, has long been a favorite
resort.
The food of this Bittern consists chiefly of small fish, lizards, and
young frogs ; but it will not refuse a chance to vary this diet with
a mouse or shrew. It utters several notes; but that most com-
monly heard is a hoarse croak, though during the nesting-season
a cooing note is heard that is low and soft and sweet. When
102 WADING BIRDS.
startled it gives a cry resembling the gua of the Night Heron, and
displays a Rail-like disposition to hide amid the grass rather than
fly from danger. Some observers think its flight is feeble and
cannot be sustained, while others affirm that the bird is capable of
prolonged flight.
CORY’S LEAST BITTERN.
ARDETTA NEOXENA.
Cuar. Similar to B. exi/is, but smaller, and lacking the stripes of
buff on the sides of the back; lower tail-coverts black; wing-coverts
chestnut. Length about 11 inches.
Nest. In aswamp on border of lake; on a low bush two and a half
feet above the surface of the water; built of twigs and lined with leaves.
Leggs. ?
This species was described by Mr. Charles B. Cory in 1886 from
the type which was taken in Florida by Mr. R. T. Stuart. Since
then some thirteen examples have been reported, five from Florida,
one from Michigan, and seven from Toronto.
The habits of the bird are supposed to be similar to those of
exilis. Mr. Scott's example was discovered while walking on the
leaves of pond-lilies, and when startled it retreated to the tall grass
on the margin of the pond.
Mr. Menge, who collected several of the Florida specimens, dis-
covered a nest with four young birds. He writes: —
“JT had one of the old birds in my hand, which I think was the
female. She was not inclined to fight and would not leave the nest.
The other old bird was two or three feet from me, and seemed a
much larger bird. I did not disturb them, and when I let the old
bird go she hopped back on her nest as though she was accustomed
to being handled.” (R. A. Chapman, “ The Auk,” January, 1896,
p. 14)
LIMPKIN.
COURLAN.
ARAMUS GIGANTEUS.
Car. Prevailing color dark brown glossed with purple ; head, neck,
and back striped with white ; throat white. General appearance rather
Heron-like. Length about 26 inches.
LIMPKIN, 103
Nest. Amid rushes or upon a low bush, on the margin of a pond or
stream; made of vine-leaves and grass.
£ggs. 4-8; buffy white or grayish white spotted with brown and
gray; variable in size, average about 2.40 X 1.70.
This singular bird principally inhabits Cayenne, Brazil, and
Paraguay, where it is rather common; it is numerous in the
island of Cuba and other warm parts of America. In the
United States, Florida appears to be its most natural residence,
and a few instances have occurred of its visiting the Middle
States. The Courlan leads a solitary life, or only associates by
pairs. By night as well as day it is heard crying out in a loud
and sonorous voice cavau / and is well entitled to the name of
the supposed “ crying-bird ” of Bartram. Mollusca, frogs, and
other aquatic animals are its ordinary food. It is very shy,
carefully hiding itself; but when aware of being discovered, it
starts rapidly to a great elevation, and its flight is long con-
tinued. It also walks with great agility, but never willingly
wades into the water. It alights on the summits of trees, and
builds in the grass, near stagnant water, concealing the nest
with much art. The young are covered with blackish down
when hatched, and soon follow their parents. Like the Rail,
this bird runs swiftly through the grass, compressing its narrow
body so as to pass through a small hole, and is very difficult to
catch when wounded.
This species has been named Limpkin by naturalists, because
that is the name by which it is known in Florida, —the only State
of the Union in which the bird is found. The name is said to have
been suggested by the walk of the bird, its movements resembling
the motions of a lame person.
In Jamaica it is called the “Clucking Hen,” from its habits of
sauntering along and deliberately clucking like a fowl.
Dr. Bryant reported finding a nest containing fifteen eggs; but
five or six has been the usual number of the sets taken during
recent years.
AH
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FLAMINGO.
PHCNICOPTERUS RUBER.
Cuar. General color bright pink, deepest on breast and wings; pri:
mary and secondary feathers of wings black; base of bill yellow, terminal
half black. Legs red. The young are paler, the pink tints deepening
with age Length about q feet. Stature nearly 5 feet.
Nest. Usually in a colony, situated on the shore of a shallow lagoon
or pond, or on a mud island, —a saucer-like depression in the mud, with a
rim or bulwark 3 to 6 inches in height. Sometimes a cone-shaped mound
of mud is built up from the bottom of the lagoon and raised 8 to Io inches
or higher above the water level.
Leggs. 2; white, much elongated, and with a rough plaster-like surface;
3.60 X 2.20.
FLAMINGO. 105
The Flamingo of America is found chiefly in the tropical
regions, whence it appears to emigrate in summer on either
side the equator, in the southern hemisphere visiting Brazil,
Peru, Chili, and Buenos Ayres, on the shores of La Plata.
It is also seen in Cayenne (where it is known by the name
of Tococo, from the usual sound of its call) and in vari-
ous islands of the West Indies. It breeds in Cuba and the
Bahamas, is not infrequent at certain seasons on the coast
of Florida, and sometimes solitary individuals are observed
even in the Middle States; but in the Union generally the
species may be considered as rare. When seen at a distance,
such is the brilliancy of their dress and the elevation at which
the birds stand that they appear like a troop of soldiers being
arranged alongside of each other in lines, while on the borders
of rivers and estuaries near the sea they assemble in search of
their food, which consists chiefly of small fish, spawn, and
aquatic insects. They collect their prey by plunging in the
bill and part of the head, and from time to time trample with
their feet to disturb the water and raise it from the bottom.
While the rest are thus employed in seeking their subsistence,
one of them stands sentinel, and on the first note of alarm, a
kind of trumpet-call, he takes to wing, and the whole flock
immediately follow.
The flesh of the American Flamingo is accounted pretty
good food, and that of the young is thought by some equal
to the Partridge. Davies, in his “ History of Barbadoes,”
says it is commonly fat and accounted delicate ; while of the
transatlantic species Dillon remarks that the inhabitants of
Provence always throw away the flesh, as it tastes fishy, and
make use only of the feathers as ornaments. But of this kind,
celebrated in history, the ancients esteemed the tongue as an
exquisite dainty, and Philostratus reckoned it among the deli-
cacies of entertainments.
The claim of the Flamingo to recognition here rests upon its
occurrence on the southwestern coast of Florida, where it is said to
reside throughout the year. It also occurs casually at other points
106 WADING BIRDS.
on the Gulf coast. Audubon credits it with occurring along the
Atlantic coast to Charleston, S. C., as late as 1830.
The old notion that when sitting on the eggs the bird’s legs
dangle awkwardly on each side of a high cone-shaped nest has
been discarded, recent observers affirming that the feet are drawn
up under the sides of the body, the nest being close to the
ground, or no higher than is necessary to protect the eggs from the
water with which they may be surrounded.
When on the nest the neck is gracefully curved and the head
neatly tucked away among the feathers of the back, like a Swan’s;
but when flying, the Flamingo does not curve its neck, as a Heron
will, but carries both neck and legs outstretched and rigid.
Y
AMERICAN AVOCET.
RECURVIROSTRA AMERICANA.
Cuar. Back and most of wings black, remainder of plumage white,
excepting head and neck, which are pale brown in summer and pale gray
in winter; feet webbed; legs blue; bill black, long, and recurved.
Length about 17 inches.
Nest. A bulky affair of dry grass or seaweed lined with fine grass;
placed amid tall herbage on the marshy margin of a pond.
Leggs. 3-4; buff or reddish drab, sometimes with an olive tint, cov-
ered with spots of brown of several shades; size variable, average about
2.00 X 1.35.
The American Avocet, supposed to winter in tropical Amer-
ica, arrives on the coast of Cape May, in New Jersey, late in
April, where it rears its young, and retires to the South early
in the month of October. In the spring it was observed by
Mr. Say in the lower part of Missouri. It is also known to
visit Nova Scotia, though scarcely ever seen in the State of
Massachusetts. Dr. Richardson also found it abundant in the
Saskatchewan plains as far as the 53d parallel, where it
frequents shallow lakes, feeding on insects and fresh-water
crustacea. In New Jersey it seems to have a predilection for
the shallow pools of the salt-marshes, wading about often in
search of prey, which consists of marine worms, small paludi-
nas, turbos, etc., to which, like the European species, it some-
times adds small “cz or marine vegetables.
AMERICAN AVOCET. 107
The Avocets near their breeding-places are very noisy,
quailing, and clamorous, flying around in circles near their
invaders, and in a sharp but plaintive tone uttering ’</4, ci,
‘ck, in the manner of the Stilts or Long Legs (Himantopus),
with which at times they familiarly associate in small numbers
to pass the important period of reproduction. Like them also
they alight on the marsh or in the water indifferently, fluttering
their loose wings and shaking their tottering and bending legs
as if ready to fall, keeping up at the same time a continual
yelping. The nest, in the same marsh with the Stilts, was
hidden in a thick tuft of grass or sedge at a small distance
from one of their favorite pools. It was composed of small
twigs of some marine shrub, withered grass, sea-weeds, and
other similar materials, the whole raised to the height of
several inches.
Buffon, theorizing on the singular structure of the bill of the
Avocet, supposes it to be “one of those errors or essays of
Nature which, if carried a little further, would destroy itself ;
for 7f the curvature of the bill were a degree increased, the bird
could not procure any sort of food, and the organ destined for
the’ support of life would infallibly occasion its destruction.”
As it happens, however, and not as might be imagined, the
Avocet, no less than the Crossbill, continues not only to live,
but to vary its fare and obtain it with facility. Even the sloth,
that triumph on the occasional imbecility of Nature, so wretched
and lost upon the plain ground, for which the motions of its
peculiar and unequal limbs are not calculated, climbs up a tree
with facility, and, like the tribe of monkeys, is perfectly at ease
in its accustomed arboreal retreat. Let us then more wisely
content ourselves to observe Nature in all her ingenious
paths, without daring, in our ignorance, to imagine the pos-
sible failure of her conservative laws.
The Avocet is a rather uncommon bird near the Atlantic coast,
and north of New Jersey is merely a straggler, a few examples
having been taken in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and New
Brunswick. On the alkali plains of the West it is quite abundant,
and ranges as far north as Great Slave Lake.
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ROSEATE SPOONBILL.
AJAJA AJAJA.
Cuar. Head bare, skin green, orange, and black; bill long, broad,
flat, and widened towards the end; neck, breast, and back white; short
plumes of breast, wings, and tail rich carmine; tail and patch on neck
buff ; under parts deep rose color. Length about 30 inches.
Vest. Inacolony, placed amid the tall grass of a salt marsh near the
mouth of a river or on a marshy sea island; made of twigs loosely ar-
ranged, —a mere platform, raised several inches from the ground.
Eggs. 5-7; dull white or pale buff, spotted with brown ; 2.60 X 1.75.
The Red or American Spoonbill chiefly dwells within the
tropical regions of the continent, being common in Jamaica
and other of the West India islands, as well as in Mexico,
ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 109
Guiana, and Brazil. In the southern hemisphere it is said to
exist in Peru and as far down the coast of South America as
Patagonia. North of the equator it migrates in summer into
Florida, and is met with to the confines of the Altamaha, in
Georgia. Wilson’s specimen was obtained up the Mississippi,
at the town of Natchez (about the latitude of 32°). Some
are also occasionally met with on the river shores of the Ala-
bama, and in other parts of that State. A straggler has been
known to wander as far as the banks of the Delaware.
According to the relation of Captain Henderson, in his
account of Honduras, this species is more maritime in its
habits than that of Europe, as it wades about in quest of shell-
fish, marine insects, fry, and small crabs; and in pursuit of
these, according to him, it occasionally swims and dives.
The European, or white, species appears to reside in much
cooler climes than the American, being abundant in Holland,
and even at times visiting the shores of the South and West
of England in whole flocks. It is there, however, a bird of
passage, and in migrations accompanies the flocks of Swans.
At the present day Spoonbills are found regularly no farther
north than the maritime districts of the Gulf States, though an
occasional bird wanders up the valley of the Mississippi, ranging
at times as far as southern Illinois.
They were abundant in Florida not many years ago, but the
‘ plume-hunters have almost exterminated them there. At present
they are more numerous on the shores of Texas than elsewhere.
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WOOD IBIS.
WOOD STORK.
TANTALUS LOCULATOR.
Cuar. General color white; tail and part of wings black, with metal-
lic reflections ; head and upper half of neck bare, the skin hard, rough,
and of a dusky color. Length about 4o inches.
Vest. Ina colony situated amid a dense cypress-swamp, placed on an
upper branch of a tall tree; a loosely arranged structure of twigs, lined
with moss, — the size increasing by yearly additions.
Eggs. 2-3; white, spotted with brown; the surface rough; 2.75 X 1.75.
This is another tribe of singular wading birds, which emi-
grate in the summer to a certain distance on either side of
the equator ; being found occasionally as far north as Virginia,
and as far south, in the other hemisphere, as the savannahs of
WOOD IBIS. III
Cayenne and Brazil, and in other parts of South America. In
the compass of the United States their principal residence is
in the inundated wilds of the peninsula of East Florida, and
they are not uncommon in Mississippi, Alabama, Carolina,
and Georgia, withdrawing from the north, however, at the
commencement of cold weather or about the month of
November.
According to Bartram, who had many opportunities of ob-
serving them in Florida, they are solitary and indolent birds,
seldom associating in flocks, and usually frequent the banks
of the principal rivers, marshes, and savannahs, especially such
as are inundated, as well as the larger deserted rice-planta-
tions contiguous to the sea-coast. Here, alone, the feathered
hermit stands listless, on the topmost limb of some tall and
decayed cypress, with his neck drawn in upon his shoulders,
and his enormous bill resting like a scythe upon his breast.
Thus pensive and lonely, he has a grave and melancholy as-
pect, as if ruminating in the deepest thought ; and in this sad
posture of gluttonous inactivity these birds probably, like
Herons, pass the greatest part of their time, till, awakened by
the calls of hunger, they become active in quest of their prey
of snakes, young alligators, fish, frogs, and other reptiles.
They are easily approached and shot, when abandoned to
repose, and are by many of the inhabitants accounted as
excellent food.
This Ibis is found in all the Southern States, though at present
it is not a common bird anywhere within our borders, excepting in
portions of Florida. Stragglers have been met with north to New
York, Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Bartram’s account of the hermit-like habits of the bird, quoted
by Nuttall, was criticised by Aubudon, who rarely met with a soli-
tary example, — the birds were always in flocks; but Dr. Henry
Bryant states that he never saw a flock of Wood Ibises excepting
at their breeding-place. The principal food of this species is small
fish, which are caught in the shallow waters, the Ibis scratching or
“raking ” the bottom to startle its prey; but a meal of frog, turtle,
bird, or snake is never neglected, and a young alligator is not safe
within reach of the bird’s long and powerful bill.
112 WADING BIRDS.
SCARLET IBIS.
GUARA RUBRA.
CHAR. Entire plumage deep scarlet, excepting the tips of the longest
wing-feathers, which are black. Length about 30 inches.
Nest. Inacolony, amid a thicket of small trees and vines; placed on
a low tree or bush, —a mere platform of loosely arranged twigs and leaves.
Leggs. 2-3; dull white or pale gray, spotted with brown; 2.10 X 1.45.
Nuttall followed Wilson in crediting the Scarlet Ibis to the
Southern States; but its appearance within our borders during
recent years has been merely casual, and it has not been seen else-
where than in Florida and Louisiana.
WHITE IBIS.
GUARA ALBA.
Cuar. Entire plumage pure white, excepting the tips of the longest
wing-feathers, which are black. In freshly killed specimens the white is
tinged with a delicate shade of pink. Length about 24 inches.
Nest. Inacolony, amid tall marsh-grass by the sea-shore or near a
pond in the woods; a compactly woven structure, sometimes deeply hol-
lowed, but often quite shallow, made of reeds or twigs and lined with
green leaves ; fastened to upright reeds or placed on a bush or low tree.
£ggs. 3-5; dull white tinted with green or blue, and marked with
brown spots; 2.25 X 1.50.
This species, so extremely like the preceding, except in its
permanent white color, is likewise common in the tropical
parts of the American continent, particularly the Caribbee
Islands, and extends its residence at least as far south beyond
the equator as the coast of Brazil. Wilson observes that the
species appeared to be pretty numerous on the borders of Lake
Pontchartrain, near New Orleans, in the month of June; he
also saw it on the low keys or islands off the coast of Florida.
These birds rarely proceed to the north of Carolina, which they
visit only for a few weeks towards the close of summer, — col-
lected probably from their dispersed breeding-places, a little
WHITE IBIS. 113
previous to the period of their migration back again to the
South, which takes place on the return of cool weather. Their
food and haunts are altogether similar with those of the pre-
ceding species, and, like them, they seldom remove to any great
distance from the sea. Mr. Bartram remarks that “ they fly
in large flocks or squadrons, evening and morning, to and from
their feeding-places or roosts, and are usually called Spanish
Curlews. They subsist principally on cray-fish, whose cells
they probe, and with their strong pinching bills drag them
out.” They also feed on fry and aquatic insects, and their
flesh is sometimes eaten, but not much esteemed.
Birds of this species may frequently be seen standing on
the dead branches of trees and on the shore, resting on one
leg, with the body in an almost perpendicular position, and the
head and bill resting on the breast, — which, indeed, appears
to be their common mode of reposing, in consequence of
which, and as a proof of the habitual indolence of the species,
the plumage, as in the Wood Ibis, on the ridge of the neck
and upper part of the back, is evidently worn by the constancy
of this habit.
Sometimes, according to Bartram, during the prevalence of
high winds and in thunder-storms, they may be seen collected
into numerous flocks, driving to and fro, or turning and tack-
ing about high in the air, during which evolutions with the
contending currents of the wind their silvery plumage gleams
and sparkles with unusual brilliance as it reflects the flashing
light from amidst the dark and hovering clouds.
The White Ibis has been until quite recently a common bird in
some localities in the Southern States. It occurs regularly on the
Atlantic shore to North Carolina (occasional stragglers have been
seen in New Jersey), and along the valley of the Mississippi
ranges farther north, —to Indiana and southern Illinois.
YOL. 0. — 8
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GLOSSY IBIS.
PLEGADIS AUTUMNALIS.
Cuar. Back, wings, and tail dark purple with metallic reflections of
green and bronze; head, neck, wing-coverts, and under parts rich chest-
nut, tinged with purple; bill brown ; legs greenish brown. Length about
24 inches.
Nest. Ina colony, situated in a marsh or swamp on the bank of a
river, lake, or shallow lagoon; a compact structure more neatly built than
the nest of any of the Herons, composed of dead reeds or twigs and
grass ; fastened to upright reeds or placed on a platform of bent reeds,
sometimes in a bush or tree growing in the water, and occasionally the
platform bearing the nest floats upon the water,
Leggs. 3-4; light blue, or dark blue with a green tinge; 2.00 X 1.45.
The Glossy Ibis appears to be within the temperate and
warmer regions almost a general inhabitant of the world.
On the borders of rivers and lakes it is seen, for example,
abundant as a bird of passage in Poland, Hungary, Turkey,
and the Grecian Archipelago; it visits the borders of the
GLOSSY IBIS. 115
Danube, and is seen sometimes in Switzerland and Italy,
though rarely in England and Holland; and is for seven
months a periodical visitor in Egypt, where, in common with
the Sacred Ibis, it was revered and embalmed in the vast cata-
combs of Saccara and Memphis. It arrives in that-country in
October, and leaves it in the month of March. It is known to
breed up the rivers of the Caspian and Black Seas, and to
spread into Russia, Siberia, Tartary, Denmark, occasionally
into Sweden, and perhaps Lapland, for the same purpose;
remaining in those countries till driven to migrate by the
inclemency of approaching winter, at which period it appears
to arrive in Africa and Asia. It is a still more rare and acci-
dental visitor in the United States than in England. A spe-
cimen has occasionally been exposed for sale in the markets of
Boston, and individuals are, at distant intervals, shot off Long
Island and on the shores of New Jersey. At very irregular
periods in the spring season, small flocks are thus seen on the
coasts of the Middle States and as far south as Maryland and
Virginia. Vieillot also asserts their occasional appearance even
in Cayenne, Iceland, and Greenland; and they are found com-
mon along the rivers in the island of Java and in the Celebes.
The Ibises ordinarily dwell together in flocks in marshy
and inundated grounds, exploring for their food with great
regularity, side by side advancing, like disciplined troops in an
extended line, perambulating the meadows they visit in pref-
erence to making a desultory flight, and for hours they are
observed boring the same spot with their long and sensitive
bills, when their prey is abundant. Sedate in their movements,
elevating their feet high in walking, and as it were measuring
their steps, they seem by the delicacy of their actions as if
conscious of the veneration and high regard symbolically
bestowed upon them by the nations of antiquity. When,
however, alarmed, they rise high in the air, in a wide spiral
range, uttering loud cries, like Geese, and having attained a
safe elevation, they file off in a horizontal direction, uttering at
intervals a low and hoarse sound, and their flight being vigor-
ous, they soon disappear from sight. ‘They are said to nest in
116 WADING BIRDS.
trees ; but of their manners during the period of reproduction
we are still wholly ignorant, and Temminck believes that they
retire to breed in the wilds of Asia, though Montague thinks
their vernal migrations are directed to the less-inhabited parts
of the North, where they find security about the rivers and
interior lakes to propagate, and whence they retire as the
winter approaches and as their food begins to fail, spreading
themselves at this season over the southern parts of Europe
and the adjoining continents. According to Oedman, they
have been known to breed, for several years in succession, in
the isle of Oland, in the Baltic.
The food of the Ibis is merely insects, worms, river shell-
fish, and vegetables, which is likewise the real fare of the nearly
allied, Sacred Ibis, of the Egyptians (/d2s religiosa, CuvIER),
neither of whom show any predilection for devouring serpents
or large reptiles, — for which purpose, in fact, the structure of
their long and falciform bills is wholly unfitted.
From the supposed utility of the Ibis in destroying noxious
reptiles, it was held in the greatest veneration by the Egyp-
tians; to kill it was forbidden under pain of death; large
flocks were kept in temples, and when they died, were
embalmed, inurned, and deposited with the mummies in the
sacred receptacles of the dead. These Jdird-pits, as they are
still called, are scattered over the plains of Saccara, and are
filled with the numerous remains of this and the Egyptian
species. So highly was it honored that the Ibis became the
characteristic hieroglyph of the country, repeated upon all
the monuments, obelisks, and national statues. The abun-
dance of their remains in the catacombs proves, indeed, the
familiarity which the species had contracted with the indulgent
inhabitants of its favorite country; and, like the Stork of
Europe, venerated for its supposed piety, it gained credit, in
the prejudices of the ignorant, for benefits which it never con-
ferred. Diodorus Siculus, however, only adds, what appears
by no means improbable, that, impelled by hunger on their
first arrival, night and day the Ibis, walking by the verge
of the water, watches reptiles, searching for their eggs, and
GLOSSY IBIS. 117
destroying all the beetles and grasshoppers which it finds. Thus
accustomed to favor and immunity (like our own Vulture scav-
engers), in Egypt these birds advanced without fear into the
midst of the cities. Strabo relates that they filled the streets
and lanes of Alexandria to such a degree as to become trou-
blesome and importunate ; and Hasselquist remarks that in
Lower Egypt as soon as the Nile becomes freed from its inun-
dations, they arrive in such numbers as to be seen morning
and evening frequenting the gardens and covering whole
palm-trees with their flocks. The Egyptian Ibis is likewise
said to construct its nest familiarly in the clustering fronds of
the date-palm, where it lays four eggs, and sits, according to
the fanciful calculation of AKlian, as many days as the star
Isis takes to perform the revolution of its phases.
To enumerate the various fictions and falsehoods with which
the ancients have chosen to embellish the history of the Ibis
would be as vain and useless to the naturalist as to the sober
historian. Even Josephus has the credulity to relate that
when Moses made war on the Ethiopians, he carried, in cages
of papyrus, a great number of the Ibis, to oppose them to the
serpents! Fables of this kind are now no longer capable of
being substituted for facts, and the naturalist contents him-
self with the humbler, but more useful, employment of simply
describing and delineating nature as it issued from the hands
of its omnipotent Creator. This superstition has also had its
day, and the Ibises, no longer venerated even in Egypt, are
in the autumn commonly shot and ensnared by the Arabs for
food; and the markets of the sea-coast are now abundantly
supplied with them as game, together with the white species,
both of which are ignominiously exposed for sale deprived of
their heads, —a spectacle from which the ancient Egyptians
would have recoiled with horror. So fickle and capricious,
because unreasonable, is the dominion of superstition !
The Glossy Ibis is a rare bird in this faunal province, but it
occurs as an occasional visitor north to Massachusetts and Ontario,
and in 1878 was seen on Prince Edward’s Island. The nest has
not been found north of Florida.
118 WADING BIRDS.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW.
SICKLE-BILL.
NuMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS.
CHAR. Upper parts mottled gray, black, and pale rufous, — rufous
being the prevailing tint ; under parts pale cinnamon, the neck and breast
with dusky streaks; secondary quills rufous, primaries brownish black ;
bill black ; legs brownish black. Length about 25 inches.
est. On the ground, sometimes in wet meadows ; a slight depression,
lined, sparingly, with grass.
Eges. 3-4 (very variable in size, color, and markings) ; olive drab to
pale buff, thickly speckled and blotched with brown, sometimes spotted
with lilac also; average size about 2.60 X 1.80.
The Long-billed Curlew is seen in the marshes of New Jer-
sey about the middle of May on its way farther north, and
in September or the latter end of August on its return from
its breeding-places. How far south it retires in the course
of the winter, has not been ascertained; but a few, no doubt,
winter in the marshes of South Carolina, as I have observed
specimens on the muddy shores of the Santee, near Charleston,
in the month of January. Its southern migration in all proba-
bility is bounded by the shores of the Mexican Gulf. Like
most species of the genus, it retires into the desolate regions
of the North to breed. Dr. Richardson believes that it fre-
quents the plains of the Saskatchewan and the Columbia at
this season, and it is known to visit the neighborhood of
Hudson Bay. In Major Long’s expedition it appears that
some of these birds were observed as far inland as the Illinois,
latitude 42°, on the 15th of June, — which might be supposed
about the time of breeding. According to Wilson, a few in-
stances have been known of one or two pairs remaining in the
salt-marshes of Cape May the whole summer; and they were
believed to nest there on the ground, laying four eggs in size
and color much resembling those of the Clapper Rail. In-
deed, it will probably be found that many birds now supposed
to pass the period of reproduction in the remote regions of
LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 119
the North only separate into solitary pairs, and disperse them-
selves through the vast wilds of the interior of North America.
The Long-billed Curlews fly high and rapidly, generally
throwing themselves, when in company, into an angular wedge,
after the manner of Wild Geese, uttering, as they fly, and when
at all alarmed, a loud, short, whistling, and almost barking
note, sometimes, as in other species of the family, strongly re-
sembling the sibilation of the word #urlew, and whence they
derive their characteristic name, which has been adopted into
so many of the European languages. By a dexterous imitation
of this note a whole flock may sometimes be enticed within gun-
shot ; and the cries of the wounded continue the sympathetic
enticement, while the fowler, repeating his shots, carries havoc
among the quailing throng. Their food consists principally
of insects, worms, and small crabs. The young and old also,
on their arrival from the North, where they feed on various
kinds of berries, still continue their fondness for this kind of
food, and now frequent the uplands and pastures in quest of
the fruit of the bramble, particularly dewberries, on which they
get so remarkably fat at times as to burst the skin in falling to
the ground, and are then superior in flavor to almost any other
game-bird of the season. In the market of Boston they are
seen as early as the 8th of August, having already raised their
brood and proceeded thus far towards their winter- quarters.
The Sickle-bill is an abundant bird from the Pacific to the Mis-
sissippi; but eastward of that river it is common only in the South-
ern States and around the Great Lakes; while in New England it
is quite rare, and occurs chiefly during the autumn migration. In
the West it. ranges to the Saskatchewan valley, about latitude 55°;
but on the Atlantic it has not been taken north of Baie de Chaleur,
on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Our Eastern birds probably raise their broods in the region ly-
ing immediately south of Hudson Bay, and then journey eastward
through the valleys of the St. Lawrence and its tributaries until
reaching the sea, along which the birds proceed to their winter
quarters in the West Indies.
Mr. George A. Boardman heard a report several years ago that
this species had been discovered breeding on Prince Edward’s
Island; but this has not been confirmed by recent observations.
HUDSONIAN CURLEW.
JACK CURLEW.
NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS.
Cuar. Upper parts blackish brown mottled with buff, the latter pre-
vailing on the wing-coverts; wings dusky; crown dusky brown, with
median stripe of buff ; stripe of brown on side of head; rest of head, neck,
and under parts light buff; breast spotted with brown. Length about 17
inches.
Vest. Usually near the margin of a lake or stream; a slight depression,
lined with grass or leaves.
Eggs. 3-4; drab with a tint of green or buff, marked with several
shades of brown; 2.25 X 1.60.
The Short-Billed Curlew, after passing the winter south of
the United States, arrives in large flocks on the coast of New
Jersey early in May, frequenting the salt-marshes, muddy
ponds, shoals, and inlets, feeding at this time on small worms,
land and marine insects, fry, minute shell-fish, and some-
times the seeds of aquatic vegetables, which it usually col-
lects at the recess of the tide in company with various other
HUDSONIAN CURLEW, 121
waders, and at high water retires into the marshes, and some-
times to the dry ridges and _ pastures, particularly at a later
period, in June, where, accompanied by the Long-Billed spe-
cies, it feeds much on dewberries, becoming very fat and
well flavored. In the northern regions and the fur countries,
to which these birds retire to breed, they also collect crowber-
ries (Empetrum nigrum) for food. In June they take their
departure to the North; collecting together from the marshes
in one general flock, they rise to a considerable elevation about
an hour before sunset, and forming a long angular phalanx,
keep up a constant whistling on their march, as if conversing
with each other, in order to forget or lessen the toil and
hazard of their adventurous journey. Their flight is steady,
like that of the Woodcock, and in consequence of their
sympathy for each other, they readily come within gunshot of
those who can imitate their call. While thus beating the air
in company, the transient glittering of their speckled wings, as
they glide along in ease and elegance, presents an interesting
spectacle no less beautiful than amusing. Arriving, at length,
in their natal regions in the wilds of the North, they soon obey
the instinct of their species, and making a nest on the ground,
lay about four eggs, which, according to Mr. Hutchins, are of a
light bluish-gray color, marked with black (or dark-brown)
spots. From the middle of August to the beginning of Sep-
tember they arrive in the vicinity of Massachusetts Bay and
other parts of New England, frequenting the pastures as well
as marshes, and fatten upon grasshoppers and berries till the
time of their departure, about the close of September; and
they wholly disappear from New Jersey on their way to the
South, early in the month of November. Previous to their
departure they again assemble in large flocks near the sea-
beach, being constantly gregarious in all their journeys. In an
island of the Piscataqua, near Plymouth (New Hampshire), a
friend informs me that they had, in the autumn, been seen to-
gether in a dense flock of many thousands, thickly covering
several acres of ground with their numbers.
When much hunted, they become extremely shy and diffi-
122 WADING BIRDS.
cult to approach; yet the same bird, shot at three or four
different times, and recovering when about to be picked up,
still, notwithstanding this persecution, continued to feed again
in the same spot. These birds, though so exquisite in flavor,
in the autumn, when as abundant as usual, are sold in Boston
market for about twenty to twenty-five cents each. ~ As early
as the 18th of July I have met with individuals of this species,
one of which on dissection proved to be an old and barren
male who in all probability had remained behind the flock in
the same vicinity where he had arrived in the spring, having
no incentive to migration. Whether other specimens, killed
at this season before the return of the general flock, are influ-
enced by the same cause to linger behind or wander from the
rest, I am unable to say.
The Jack Curlew is well known to gunners along the Atlantic
coast, where it occurs during both migrations. The flocks do not
cross the Gulf of St. Lawrence, but follow the southern shore till
well inland, when they fly north to Hudson Bay and the Barren
Lands, near the Arctic Ocean, where they breed.
A few stragglers from the main flocks have been taken in Lab-
rador and Greenland, and a few wander inland through Ohio and
the Eastern States.
ESKIMO CURLEW.
SHORT-BILLED CURLEW. DOUGH-BIRD.
NUMENIUS BOREALIS,
CHAR. Upper parts blackish brown, spotted with buff; crown streaked,
but without distinct median line ; under parts light buff ; neck, breast, and
sides streaked or spotted with dusky. Length about 14 inches.
Much like Audsonicus, but easily distinguished, dorealis being of smaller
size, with a shorter bill, and lacking the light-colored streak across the
crown.
Mest. Amid the rocks of dry ridges, adjacent to lakes and ponds; a
slight depression, lined with grass and leaves.
Eggs. 3-4; olive, with a tinge of green or brown predominating,
marked with several shades of brown; 2.05 X 1.45.
The Small Curlew in the course of its vast migrations occa-
sionally visits almost every part of the American continent,
ESKIMO CURLEW. 123
penetrating even into the remote territories of the west, cours-
ing along the great valley of the Mississippi, and extending its
wanderings into the southern hemisphere as far as Brazil and
Paraguay. These birds arrive at Hudson Bay in April or early
in May, but breed to the north of Albany Fort, returning to
the marshes with their young in August, and retire from that
country early in September. Indeed, accompanied probably
by the preceding, they frequent in summer the wide extent of
Barren Lands within the Arctic circle, feeding usually on aquae
tic insects, their larvae, and when ripe, the fruit of the crow-
berry (EZmpetrum nigrum). On the 13th of June, 1822, Dr.
Richardson discovered one of these Curlews sitting on three
eggs on the shore of Point Lake. When approached, she ran a
short distance from the nest, crouching near to the ground,
and then stopped to watch the motions of her encroaching
visitor.
About the close of August or beginning of September these
Curlews, accompanied by birds of the preceding species, arrive
on the shores of Massachusetts Bay; and frequenting the
marshes and adjoining pastures, feed at this time much upon
grasshoppers, coleoptera, and earth-worms, which they collect
principally towards evening or early in the morning. On their
way to the South they also visit Nova Scotia and Newfound-
land, where they remain till the approach of winter; and in
New Jersey these birds linger on till the month of November,
when they apparently, without further delay, pass on to the
south of the United States, for in other parts of the Union they
appear to be wholly unknown. Like the other species, they
are remarkably gregarious, each company seeming to follow
some temporary leader; and on starting to wing, a sort of
watch-cry is heard, resembling the whistling pronunciation of
the word dee-dee. On their arrival from the North they are
very fat, plump, and well flavored, and included, like both the
preceding species and the Marbled Godwit, under the general
name of Doedirds, they are sought out by epicures and en-
hance the value of a table entertainment. Pennant remarks,
on the authority of Hutchins, that one year, from the gth of
124 WADING BIRDS.
August to the 6th of September, they were seen in flocks innu-
merable on the hills about Chatteux Bay, on the coast of Lab-
rador, soon after which they all departed for the South; at
this time they kept chiefly on the open grounds, and feeding
on crowberries, were very fat and well flavored.
A few of these birds migrate northward along the Atlantic coast,
and some wander by the way of the Great Lakes; but the route
taken by the majority is up the valley of the Mississippi and across
the plains, where they have been met with in “immense flocks”
during May. They spend the summer on the Barren Lands within
the Arctic circle, and after raising their broods, start on the migra-
tion southward, crossing to Labrador, where several naturalists
have found them in great abundance. But though so abundant in
that region, comparatively few pass southward through the Maritime
Provinces, and they are reported as uncommon all along the
Atlantic shore of the United States; so it is supposed that the
larger number fly direct from Labrador to South America, over
which country they roam during the winter, ranging to its south-
ernmost point.
Dr. Coues, who met with large numbers of these birds in Labra-
dor, states that their principal food was crowberry, or “curlew-
berry,” as the natives call it; but they also fed extensively ona
small snail which adhered to the rocks on the sea-shore and were
left uncovered at low tide.
Mr. G. H. Mackay, in his interesting biography of the species,
says the birds are met with on the uplands, as well as on the sea-
shore, feeding on insects and seeds, much after the habit of some
of the Plovers.
CURLEW SANDPIPER.
TRINGA FERRUGINEA.
Cuar. Bill long, slender, and decurved. Adult in summer: upper
parts mottled black, gray, and rufous; wings and tail ashy gray; tail-
coverts pale buff barred with black; under parts rich chestnut. Adult in
winter: upper parts grayish brown; tail-coverts white; under parts
white ; chest with a few indistinct streaks of gray. Young: like adult in
winter, but feathers of upper parts margined with buff; neck streaked
with brown. Length about 8% inches.
vest. On the margin of a lake or stream; a slight depression, lined
with dry grass.
Z£ggs. —?, “pale grayish or greenish buffy, spotted with deep brown,
etc.; 1.50 X 1.04” (Ridgway).
Of this species very little is known. It is found on the sea-
coast and by the borders of lakes, and is sometimes seen in the
interior of the countries it frequents. Like most species of the
genus, it is migratory in the spring and autumn, and at such
times proceeds in flocks along the coast or on the borders of
large rivers. The food of this bird is usually small insects
and worms, as well as the herbage of some of the sea-weeds
(Fuct). So wide are the devious wanderings of this cos-
mopolite pigmy that Temminck obtained a specimen from
126 WADING BIRDS.
Senegal, another from the Cape of Good Hope (as is also
indicated by Latham’s name of the Cape Curlew), and a third
from North America.
The Curlew Sandpiper is not an uncommon bird in Europe, but,
excepting in Greenland and Alaska, few examples have been met
with in America, and those were seen along the New England
coast and in Ontario. It is supposed to breed throughout the
entire Arctic regions, but of its nesting habits very little is
known.
Though an exceedingly active bird, when feeding, it proceeds
quite leisurely with its migrations, and while on these journeys
frequents the salt-marshes and the tide-washed sandbars near the
mouths of rivers.
In many habits and in flight it resembles the Dunlin, for which it
is often mistaken. This mistake is liable to be made in winter,
when the plumage of the two are very similar. In summer dress
our bird appears somewhat like a small edition of the Knot.
RED-BACKED SANDPIPER.
DUNLIN. BLACK-BREAST. BLACK-BELLIED SANDPIPER.
BLACK-HEART. WINTER SNIPE.
TRINGA ALPINA PACIFICA.
Cuar. Adult in summer: upper parts chestnut, streaked with black;
wings and tail ashy gray; throat and breast grayish white with dark
streaks ; lower breast black ; belly white. Adult in winter: upper parts
brownish gray or ashy gray ; under parts white, neck and chest streaked
sparingly with gray. In young birds the feathers on the upper parts are
bordered with rufous or buff, the top of the head is light chestnut and
black, and the under parts are white, spotted with black. Length 8 to 8%
inches.
Nest. Amid long grass on a salt-marsh or beneath a bunch of heather
on a moor or hillside, —a slight deptession, lined with grass, leaves, or
moss.
Zggs. 4; dull buff tinged with brown or olive, marked with chestnut;
1.45 X 1.00.
The Dunlin, or Red-backed Sandpiper, of the United States,
according to the season of the year, is met with throughout
the northern hemisphere, penetrating, in America, during the
summer season, to the utmost habitable verge of the Arctic
RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 127
Circle, and even breeding in that remotest of lands, the ever-
wintry shores of Melville Peninsula. It likewise inhabits
Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, the Alps of Siberia, and the
coasts of the Caspian. In the southern hemisphere it some-
times even wanders as far as the Cape of Good Hope, and is
found in Jamaica, other of the West India islands, and Cayenne.
In the autumn it is seen around Vera Cruz, and, with other
Sandpipers probably, is exposed for sale in the markets of Mex-
ico. At the same time many, as the Purres, in their winter
dress, remain through the greatest part of the winter within the
milder limits of the Union, frequenting at times in great num-
bers the coasts of both Carolinas during the month of Feb-
tuary, flitting probably to and fro with every vacillating
change of temperature, being naturally vagabond and nowhere
fixed for any considerable time until their arrival at the
Ultima Thule of the continent, where they barely stay long
enough to rear a single brood, destined, as soon as they are
able, to wander with the rest and swell the aérial host, whose
sole delight, like the untiring Petrels of the storm or the
ambitious Albatross, is to be in perpetual action, and are
thus, by their associated numbers, obliged perpetually to rove
in quest of their transient, periodical, and varying prey.
In the Middle States the Dunlins arrive on their way to the_
North in April and May, and in September and October they
are again seen pursuing the route to their hibernal retreat in
the South. At these times they often mingle with the flocks
of other strand birds, from which they are distinguishable by
the rufous color of their upper plumage. They frequent the
muddy flats and shores of the salt-marshes at the recess of the
tide, feeding on the worms, insects, and minute shell-fish
which such places generally afford. They are also very nimble
on the strand, frequenting the sandy beaches which bound the
ocean, running, and gleaning up their prey with great activity
on the reflux of the waves.
These birds when in their hibernal dress are seen, in con-
junction with several species, sometimes collecting together in
such flocks as to seem at a distance like a moving cloud, vary-
128 WADING BIRDS.
ing in form and appearance every instant while they perform
their circuitous, waving, and whirling evolutions along the
shores with great rapidity ; alternately bringing their dark and
white plumage into view, they form a very grand and imposing
spectacle of the sublime instinct and power of Nature. At
such times, however, the keen gunner, without losing much
time in empty contemplation, makes prodigious slaughter in
the timid ranks of the Purres; while as the showers of their
companions fall, the whole body often alight or descend to the
surface with them, until the greedy sportsman becomes satiated
with destruction.
The Dunlins breed plentifully on the Arctic coasts of Amer-
ica, nesting on the ground in the herbage, laying three or four
very large eggs of an oil-green, marked with irregular spots of
liver-brown of different sizes and shades, confluent at the
larger end. Mr. Pennant also received the eggs of this kind
from Denmark, so that the range in which they breed, no less
than that in which they migrate, is very extensive.
This species, still abundant throughout the continent, and breed-
ing in the Far North, is called “ Winter Snipe” by the gunners of
New Jersey and southward; but that name is given by the New
Englanders to the Purple Sandpiper, which is not seen farther
south. The names Ox-bird and Purre, given to the present spe-
cies by Nuttall, were the names by which the summer and winter
phases of the Dunlin were designated formerly by English writers.
Mr. D. G. Elliot tells us that in the far north, when the pairing
time arrives, “the males pursue the females, uttering a musical
trilling note which falls upon the ear like the mellow tinkle of large
water drops falling rapidly into a partly filled vessel. It is not
loud, but has a rich full tone difficult to describe, but pleasant to
hear among the discordant notes of the various water fowl, whose
hoarse cries arise on all sides.”
Note.— The European DuNLIN (Tringa alpina) is smaller
than the American race, and of a duller tint. It occurs in Green-
land and breeds there, and an occasional example wanders to the
shores of Hudson Bay. One has been taken on Long Island.
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER. 129
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER.
BONAPARTE’S SANDPIPER.
TRINGA FUSCICOLLIS.
Cuar. Upper parts brownish gray, striped with black and tinged with
rufous; wings ashy brown; rump brownish ash; upper tail-coverts white ;
tail grayish brown, the two middle feathers darker; under parts white,
the breast washed with gray. In winter the upper parts are entirely
brownish gray. Bill short and blackish brown, paler at the base; legs
brownish olive. Length about 74 inches.
Nest. On a low lying sea-shore or near the muddy margin of a lake or
stream close by the sea, —a slight depression, lined with dead leaves.
Eggs. 4; olive or olive brown or grayish buff, marked with chestnut
and dark brown; sometimes marked also with pale brown and purplish
gray; 1.35 x 0.95-
This species, so nearly related to the preceding, is also com-
mon to both continents, penetrating inland in America to the
western plains of the Mississippi, and inhabiting the shores of
the small lakes which skirt the plains of the Saskatchewan,
and probably the remoter wilds of the Arctic circle. Accord-
ing to Bonaparte these birds are rather common on the coast
of New Jersey in autumn, and Mr. Oakes met with several in
the vicinity of Ipswich, in Massachusetts. They are either seen
in flocks by themselves or accompanying other Sandpipers,
which they entirely resemble in their habits and food, fre-
quenting marshy shores and the borders of lakes and brackish
waters. They associate in the breeding-season, and are then
by no means shy; but during autumn, accompanying different
birds, they become wild and restless. Their voice resembles
that of the Dunlin, but is more feeble; and they nest near
their usual haunts, by lakes and marshes.
This is the Schinz’s Sandpiper of Nuttall and Bonaparte. It is
a common bird in eastern North America, migrating northward
along the Mississippi valley as well as by the Atlantic coast, and
breeding in the Arctic regions, — from Labrador to the Polar Sea.
During the migrations numbers of these birds appear along the
New England shores in company with several of their smaller
allies, from which they are readily distinguished by their conspic-
VOL. Il. — 9
130 WADING BIRDS.
uous white tail-coverts. Their note, also, is peculiar, — a low soft
weet.
In habits they differ little from other Sandpipers, —a little more
confiding and heedless perhaps, and more frequently found on the
mud-flats and among the sea-weed than on the sand.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER.
JACK SNIPE. GRASS SNIPE. KRIEKER.
TRINGA MACULATA.
CHAR. Upper parts dusky brown, the feathers margined with buff and
rufous; rump and tail-coverts cusky; cheeks and throat dull white
streaked with brown; breast buffy gray streaked with dusky; chin and
belly white. In winter the plumage is plain gray and white, sometimes
tinged with pale rufous and buff. Length about 834 inches.
Nest. Amid a tuft of grass on a dry mound or hill side.
£ggs. 4; pale buff, greenish drab, or olive brown, thickly blotched
with rich red brown; 1.50 X 1.05.
This conspicuous species of Sandpiper, first detected by
Mr. Say, is by no means uncommon in various parts of the
United States, migrating north, and perhaps west, to breed,
as it is common in the remote plains of the Mississippi. These
birds have been killed in abundance on the shores of Cohasset
and in other parts of Massachusetts Bay, and brought to the
markets of Boston, being very fat and well flavored. They
arrive in flocks about the close of August, and continue here,
as well as in New Jersey, till the month of September, and
perhaps into October. In some instances solitary individuals
have been killed in the marshes of Charles River, in Cam-
bridge, about the 22d of July. These were in company with
the flocks of small Sandpipers ; but whether pairs may perhaps
breed in the neighboring marshes or not, we have not had the
means of ascertaining.
While here, they feed on small coleoptera, larva, and the
common’ green Ulva Jattissima, as well as some species of
Fucus, or sea-weed, on which they become very fat. They
utter a low, plaintive whistle when started, very similar to that
PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 131
of some other species. Like the Snipe, they seem fond of
damp meadows and marshes, and solitary individuals are often
surprised by the sportsman in the manner of that bird.
The Pectoral Sandpiper breeds in the Arctic and subarctic re-
gions of North America, — from Greenland to Alaska, —and in
winter retires to the West Indies and southward. Large flocks of
these birds migrate north and south across the prairies and through
the valley of the great rivers of the West, but along the Atlantic sea-
board only a scattered few are seen in the spring, though during
the early autumn they appear in numbers. While on our coasts
they mingle sociably with other small Sandpipers, but some of their
manners and habits suggest the Snipe rather than the Sandpiper.
They frequent the salt-marshes and seaside meadows more than the
sandy beaches, and the erratic flight of a flock when suddenly
flushed is peculiarly Snipe-like.
Nothing definite was known of the breeding-habits of these
birds until recently, when our naturalists discovered them nesting
in Alaska. Murdock found’ numbers at Point Barrow; then Nel-
son made a study of them at St. Michael's in 1879; and in 1883 the
members of Lieutenant Ray’s party at Point Barrow were fortunate
enough to secure several nests with eggs.
In the mating season, which occurs after they have reached the
vicinity of their nesting ground, the males become intensely excited
in their efforts to gain the attention of the females and to keep near
to one chosen for amate. They run along the sand with wings exten-
ded, or take short flights close to the ground, passing to and fro
in front of the a@morifa, or whirling in graceful curves in the air
above her, all the while uttering a deep and hollow booming, which
resembles hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, or too-u, too-u, too-u, rapidly repeated
in liquid musical tones. ‘“ Whenever he pursues his love-making,”
says Mr, Nelson, “his rather low but pervading note swélls and
dies in musical cadences, which form a striking part of the great
bird chorus heard at this season in the North.” During these per-
formances the throat and breast are filled with air and puffed out
to twice their natural extent, — whence the name Pectoral. When
not thus inflated, the air-sac hangs an inch or more below the gen-
eral contour of the neck. While with us these birds do not display
this inflated breast, and the only note we hear from them is a low
soft tweet.
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER.
TRYNGITES SUBRUFICOLLIS.
Cuar. Upper parts yellowish brown mottled with black ; central tail-
feathers greenish black, others paler and barred towards the tips; under
parts buffish with a rufous tinge, the linings of the wings paler and beau-
tifully marbled with black; breast with a few dark spots. Length about
8 inches.
Nest. On a knoll in a grassy plain or near a river bank, —a slight
depression lined with a little moss or grass, or a few leaves.
Eggs. 4; pale reddish buff sometimes tinged with olive, profusely
marked with lavender and rich reddish brown of several shades; 1.45
xX 1.00.
This elegant species, some seasons, is not uncommon in
the market of Boston in the month of August and September,
being met with near the capes of Massachusetts Bay. My
friend Mr. Cooper has also obtained specimens from the
vicinity of New York; and it was first discovered by Veil-
lot in the then Territory of Louisiana, so that, coursing along
the shores of the Mississippi, and thus penetrating inland, it
probably proceeds, as well as in the vicinity of the sea-coast,
to its northern destination to breed, and is often here associ-
ated with the Pectoral Sandpiper, which it resembles very
much in size and bill, though perfectly distinct in plumage. As
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, 133
a proof how wide it wanders, this species has also been tarely
obtained even in France and England, and a specimen figured
in the Linnzan Transactions of London is there given as a
new addition to the fauna of Great Britain. It was shot in
September, 1826, in the parish of Melbourne, Cambridgeshire,
in company with the Siberian Plover, or Guignard (Charadrius
morinellus) .
Its food while here consists principally of land and marine
insects, particularly grasshoppers, which, abounding in the
autumn, become the favorite prey of a variety of birds; even
the Turnstone at this season, laying aside his arduous employ-
ment, is now content to feed upon these swarming and easily
acquired insects.
This Sandpiper is distributed throughout North America, breed-
ing in Arctic and Sub-arctic regions. It is a rather rare visitor to
this northeastern section, though more frequently seen in the
- autumn than during the spring migrations, the bulk of the flocks
going north by the western inland routes, and nesting on the dry
plains in the Barren Ground region, adjacent to the Mackenzie and
Anderson Rivers. These birds must migrate very rapidly and
make but few halts; for while they are quite abundant on their
nesting-ground, they are rarely seen while migrating. They range
in winter through the West Indies and southward as far as Brazil
and Peru.
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a bird of the dry upland rather
than of the marsh or the sandy beach. Its principal food consists
of insects, — beetles, grasshoppers, and such; but it varies its diet
with small marine forms, and does not object to an occasional
meal of small fruit and berries. The birds are very tame, and are
usually met with in small flocks of ten or fifteen. The note, which
is generally heard as the bird rises from the ground, is a low tweet,
repeated several times.
PURPLE SANDPIPER.
WINTER SNIPE. ROCK SNIPE.
TRINGA MARITIMA.
Cuar. Distinguished from other Sandpipers by its short legs, short
thick body, and dark color. Adult in summer : upper parts brownish gray,
darker on the back, which is spotted with rufous and buffish white ; rump
and central tail-feathers dull brown, outer tail-feathers ashy gray ; wings
grayish brown; under parts gray, paler on the belly; throat and breast
thickly spotted with dark brown. In winter the upper parts are purplish
ash, and the breast ashy brown or mouse gray; the belly white. Length
variable, averaging about 8% inches.
Nest. Usually amid a tuft of grass near a rocky sea-shore, but often
on high hills; generally a little hollow scraped in the soil and lined with
some moss or leaves ; but nests have been found composed of dried grass
and sunk quite deep in the ground.
Leggs. 4; pale olive, green or dull buff, marked with lilac and brown;
1.45 X 1.00.
The Purple Sandpiper is another of those wandering species
common to the cold regions of both continents, confining its
visits principally to the rocky and shelving sea-coasts, where it
obtains in more abundance the minute crustacea, mollusca,
and the fry of shell-fish which adhere commonly to the sea-
weeds or Fuci in such situations; and so peculiar is this
habit that in Holland, where it is now common, it has only
appeared with the existence and advancement of the artificial
moles which have been built. In Norway along the rocky
PURPLE SANDPIPER, 135
shores of the Baltic, and on similar coasts of the Mediter-
ranean, in the West of England, and around Hudson Bay,
these birds are common. In Russia, Siberia, and Iceland
they are also found, but less frequently. In the warmer parts
of America they are rare. Leaving the inclement coasts of
their nativity, they proceed probably by Greenland, and mi-
grate directly to the rocky coasts of Norway, and in the course
of the winter visit for a while the colder parts of Europe.
According to Dr. Richardson, they breed abundantly on the
shores of Hudson Bay, as well as in that coldest and most
desolate of boreal climates, Melville Peninsula, laying the usual
number of eggs, which are of a pyriform figure sixteen and a
half lines long, and an inch across at the larger end. They are
yellowish gray, interspersed with small irregular spots of pale
hair-brown, more abundant at the larger end, and rare at
the other. - This bird is seldom seen inland or on the borders
of rivers, where its appearance is accidental ; its piping note is
very similar to that of other species; is not shy, often caught
in snares, and the flesh accounted palatable.
The Purple Sandpiper is an abundant bird along the shores of
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia during the winter months, ap-
pearing in large flocks, and feeding on the rocks and the stony
beaches. So large are the flocks, and so compactly do the birds
rise when flushed, that I have known sixty-five to be killed at one
shot.
In Massachusetts this bird is rather uncommon, and is seen only
in small groups of three or four, and similar groups are occasion-
ally seen on Long Island. It occurs on the shores of the Great
Lakes, and Mr. D. G. Elliot says “it is not uncommon on the shores
of Lake Michigan, and has been noted as occurring in Missouri.”
Mr. Hagerup reports that a few individuals remain in Greenland
during the winter months.
136 WADING BIRDS.
LEAST SANDPIPER.
PEEP,
TRINGA MINUTILLA.
Cuar. Upper parts mottled black, rufous, and dull white, darker on
the rump; a light stripe over the eyes; under parts white, spotted with
dusky; breast and sides washed with ashy brown; toes without web.
The smallest of the Sandpipers. Length 5% to 6 inches.
Nest. Usually on a dry hill bordering a lake or pond, but sometimes
amid moss close by the sea-shore,—a slight depression, scantily lined
with grass and leaves.
Eggs. 4; buff or drab thickly marked with brown and lilac; 1.15 X
0.85.
This small and nearly resident species may be considered as
the most common and abundant in America, inhabiting the
shores and marshes of the whole continent both to the north
and south of the equator, retiring probably with the incle-
mency of the season, indifferently, from either frigid circle
towards the warmer and more hospitable regions within the
tropics. These birds are consequently seen, spring and
autumn, in all the markets of the Union as well as in those
of the West Indies, Vera Cruz, and in the interior as far as
Mexico. Captain Cook also found them on the opposite side
of the continent, frequenting the shores of Nootka Sound.
The great mass of their pigmy host retire to breed within the
desolate lands of the Arctic circle, where, about the 20th of
May, or as soon as the snow begins to melt and the rigors of
the long and nocturnal winter relax, they are again seen to
return to the shores and the swampy borders of their native
lakes in the inclement parallel of 66 degrees. Though shy and
quailing on their first arrival, with many other aérial passen-
gers of like habits, they contribute to give an air of life and
activity to these most dreary, otherwise desolate and inhospi-
table regions of the earth. Endowed with different wants and
predilections from the preceding hosts, whose general livery
they wear, they never seemingly diverge in their passage so
far to the eastward as to visit Greenland and the contiguous -
LEAST SANDPIPER. 137
extremity of northern Europe, being unknown in the other
continent ; and migrating always towards the south, they have
thickly peopled almost every part of the country that gave
them birth.
The Peeps, as they are here called, are seen in the salt-
marshes around Boston as early as the 8th of July, —indeed, so
seldom are they absent from us in the summer season that
they might be taken for denizens of the State or the neighbor-
ing countries, did we not know that they repair at an early
period of the spring to their breeding-resorts in the distant
north, and that as yet, numerous and familiar as they are, the
nest and history of their incubation are wholly unknown.
When they arrive, now and then accompanied by the Semi-
palmated species, the air is sometimes, as it were, clouded with
their flocks. Companies led from place to place in quest of
food are seen whirling suddenly in circles with a desultory
flight, at a distance resembling a swarm of hiving bees seeking
out some object on which to settle. At this time, deceiving
them by an imitation of their sharp and querulous whistle, the
fowler approaches, and adds destruction to the confusion of
their timorous and restless flight. Flocking together for com-
mon security, the fall of their companions and their plaintive
cry excites so much sympathy among the harmless Peeps that,
forgetting their own safety, or not well perceiving the cause of
the fatality which the gun spreads among them, they fall some-
times into such a state of confusion as to be routed with but
little effort, until the greedy sportsman is glutted with his timo-
rous and infatuated game. When much disturbed they, how-
ever, separate into small and wandering parties, where they are
now seen gleaning their fare of larvee, worms, minute shell-
fish, and insects in the salt-marshes or on the muddy and
sedgy shores of tide-rivers and ponds. At such times they
may be very nearly approached, betraying rather a heedless
familiarity than a timorous mistrust of their most wily enemy ;
and even when rudely startled they will often return to the
same place in the next instant to pursue their lowly occupation
of scooping in the mud, — and hence probably originated the
138 WADING BIRDS.
contemptible appellation of Awmi/ity, by which they and some
other small birds of similar habits have been distinguished.
For the discovery of their food their flexible and sensitive awl-
like bills are probed into the mire, marshy soil, or wet sand, in
the manner of the Snipe and Woodcock, and in this way they
discover and rout from their hidden retreats the larve and
soft worms which form a principal part of their fare. At other
times they also give chase to insects, and pursue their calling
with amusing alacrity. When at length startled or about to
join the company they have left, a sharp, short, and monoto-
nous whistle like the word Zeef or péep is uttered, and they
instantly take to wing and course along with their com-
rades. On seeing the larger marsh-birds feeding, as the
Yellow-Shanks and others, a whirling flock of the Peeps will
descend amongst them, being generally allowed to feed in
quiet ; and on the approach of the sportsman these little timo-
rous rovers are ready to give the alarm. At first a slender
peep is heard, which is then followed by two or three others,
and presently eet 'Zip *f1p *p'H murmurs in a lisping whistle
through the quailing ranks as they rise swarming on the wing,
and inevitably entice with them their larger but less watchful
associates. Towards evening, in fine weather, the marshes
almost re-echo with the shrill but rather murmuring or lisping,
subdued, and querulous call of fee/, and then a repetition of
pé-dee, pé-dee, dée dée, which seems to be the collecting cry of
the old birds calling together their brood ; for when assembled,
the note changes into a confused murmur of JéeZ, péet, attended
by a short and suppressed whistle.
At most times, except in the spring, they are fat and well
flavored, though less esteemed than many of the other species
from their smallness and an occasional sedgy taste which dete-
riorates them. From the oily and deliquescent nature of the
fat which loads the cellular membrane in this hyperboreal
natal family of birds, we may, perhaps, perceive a constitu-
tional reason why most of them thrive better and have such a
predilection for those cool and temperate climates in which
they renew their exhausted vigor and acquire the requisite
LEAST SANDPIPER. 139
strength and energy necessary for the period of reproduction.
It is indeed certain that those stragglers which, from age or
disability, remain, as it were hermits, secluded from the rest of
the wandering host, do neither propagate nor fatten while thus
detained through summer in the Warmer climates. Of this fact
we have already mentioned instances, in the case of straggling
Curlews killed in this vicinity by the 18th of July, —a period
when the main mass of the species are engaged in feeding or
just hatching their tender young.
This little Sandpiper, which we have named in honor of Wil-
son (certainly not being the species first intended as Zringa
pusilla), leaves us by the close of September, and departs from
the Middle States towards its remote hibernal retreats in the
course of the month of October. The present species and
some others appear occasionally to feed partially on vegetable
substances as well as on animals, as I have found in their
stomachs pieces apparently of zostera roots and flowers of the
marsh plantain.
The Peeps still throng our shores each spring and autumn, and
are the same active and confiding creatures that Nuttall found
them. Their general breeding-area is from Labrador to the Arctic
Ocean, but a few nests have been discovered south of the St.
Lawrence; for the nesting habits of these birds are no longer
unknown.
= a
KNOT.
RED-BREASTED SNIPE. ROBIN SNIPE.
TRINGA CANUTUS.
CuHar. Adultin summer: above, mottled black and gray, tinged with
dull rufous; rump ashy white, with dark bars ; tail gray, edged with dull
white; under parts and line over the eyes rich chestnut ; paler on the belly.
Adult in winter : above, ashy gray ; below, white, the neck streaked with
dusky. Young: much like the adult in winter plumage, but the feathers
of the upper parts are bordered with lines of pale buff and brown, and the
breast is tinged with buff. Length about 10% inches.
Vest. Usually on the margin of a lake or stream, —a slight depres-
sion, lined with leaves and grass.
Eggs. 4-9; “light pea green, closely spotted with brown in small specks
about the size of a pin-head” (Greely), or “ dun-color, fully marked with
reddish” (Hutchins); 1.10 X 1.00.
This large and variable species, described under such a
variety of names, is again a denizen of both continents, pass-
ing the summer, or reproductive season, in the utmost habitable
KNOT. 141
limits of the Arctic Circle. Captain Parry’s adventurous party
found it breeding on Melville Peninsula and in other parts
of those hyperboreal regions, as on Seal Islands, probably,
near Chatteux Bay, as well as in the vicinity of Hudson Bay
down to the 55th parallel, It is also supposed to breed in
Denmark and in the Orkney Islands. It is likewise met with
in Iceland, on the shores of the Caspian, and on the banks of
the Don and Choper in Russia; and continuing eastward
towards the American continent, in that direction, is again
found in Siberia, and on the other side of the boreal circle at
Nootka Sound.
About the middle of August, flocks of the Knot, still clad in
their nuptial and summer plumage, appear on the shores and in
the marshes at the eastern extremity of Massachusetts Bay,
particularly around Chatham and the Vineyard. In many,
however, the moult of autumn has already commenced ; but in
the nearer vicinity of Boston, flocks of the young only are seen
disguised in the elegantly marked and sober gray of winter.
When not harassed, they are by no means shy, allowing of a
pretty near approach while busily and sedately employed in
gleaning their food along the strand, chiefly at the recess of
the tide, where, in friendly company with the small Peep and
other kindred species, the busy flocks are seen gleaning up the
rejectamenta of the ocean, or quickly and intently probing the
moist sand for worms and minute shell-fish, running nimbly
before the invading surge, and profiting by what it leaves be-
hind. They seem like a diminutive army, marshalled in rank,
and spreading their animated lines, while perpetually engaged
in an advance or retreat before the break of the resounding
and ceaseless waves. Bred in solitudes remote from the
haunts of men, the young, in particular, seem unconscious of
danger from the fowler, and a flock may sometimes be succes-
sively thinned by the gun, till the whole are nearly destroyed ;
when wounded, however, they take to the water and swim with
ease.
On the coast of New Jersey and other parts of the Middle
States they arrive in October, and are seen along the strand
142 WADING BIRDS.
in flocks, but disappear early in December, on their way south
to their winter quarters within the tropics. On their return
they appear on the coast of the Middle States early in May, on
their way to their congenial retreats in the North; but at this
time few are to be seen, compared with the accumulating flocks
of autumn; while at the same season in Holland they are
most abundant. Some of these birds in their rufous plumage
have been observed to linger on the neighboring coast till the
2oth of July, so that they must either have bred in the vicinity,
or have passed the season in celibacy, lingering behind the
migrating flocks, —a habit which appears to be more or less
common with many other of the aquatic and wading birds.
The Knot is found throughout North America, breeding in the
Arctic regions, wintering in Florida (sparingly) and southward, and
migrating by inland routes as well as along the sea-coast. It is a
common bird on the New Engalnd shores in spring and autumn.
but rare in the Mississippi valley.
BAIRD’S SANDPIPER.
TRINGA BAIRDII.
CuHar. Upper parts grayish buff, varied with dusky ; scrrpe over eyes
white; middle tail-feathers dusky, others gray; chest tinged with buff
and streaked with dusky, other under parts white; bill and feet black.
Length about 73% inches.
Nest. On the margin of a lake or pond; a slight depression, hidden by
tall grass and lined with leaves and grass.
£ggs. 4; buffish or creamy, spotted with rich reddish brown; 1.30 X
0.90.
Baird’s Sandpiper was described by Coues in 1861 from speci-
mens taken in the West, and it was not until 1870 that the bird was
known to occur on the Atlantic. Upto the present a few examples
only have been captured to the eastward of the Mississippi valley,
and very little is known of the bird’s distribution. Reports from
different sections of the country lend probability to the conclusion
that the bulk of these Sandpipers migrate across the Great Plains
and nest along the Mackenzie River valley north of latitude 60°
and in Alaska. They are abundant on the plains and amid the
foot hills of the Rockies. In winter they range to Chili and the
Argentine Republic. -
SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER.
EREUNETES PUSILLUS.
CHAR. Feet with two webs extending about half-way up the toes.
Upper parts mottled brownish gray, tinged with rufous or buff, each fea-
ther with a central stripe of blackish; rump darker; under parts white,
the breast washed with rufous and marked with dusky. In winter plum-
age there is no trace of the rufous or buff tints. Length about 6 inches.
Nest. Usually on the margin of a pool by the sea or an inland pond,
-——a slight depression scantily lined with leaves and grass ; sometimes hid-
den in a tussock of grass.
Eggs. 3-4; pale gray or with buff, drab, or olive tint, variously
marked with brown; 1.20 X 0.85.
Commonly associated with other species of the same size,
plumage, and habits, it is not easy to offer any remark con-
cerning it which can be considered as exclusive. It is spread
equally over the North American continent, from the confines
of the Arctic circle probably to the West Indies. According
to Wilson, it arrives and departs with the Sanderling, and asso-
ciates with the Dunlin when in its autumnal dress, in this case
forming flocks apart from each other; but with the Peep it is
sometimes so blended as to be unknown till brought to the
144 WADING BIRDS.
ground. In the salt-marshes near Boston they are not uncom-
mon in small numbers, but some seasons are seen whirling
about wildly in large and separate flocks, and so timorous and
roving as to give the alarm to the other larger birds asso-
ciated around them. Along the shores of New Jersey they
are numerous, and Mr. Hutchins, who described this species,
without publishing his description, as early as the year 1770,
says that they arrive at Severn River, in the fur countries, in
great numbers about the middle of May. Towards autumn
these birds utter a chirping call, and in September they retire
to the southward, soon after which they are seen in Massa-
chusetts on most of the muddy shores, which they frequent
at the recess of the tide, dwelling more exclusively in the
immediate vicinity of the ocean than the Peep. When dis-
persed or alarmed, they give a quailing call, like ’¢o-weet, ’to-
weet. At other times, when startled, they utter a shrill clatter-
ing whistle, and are always noisy and querulous. Like the
small land-birds, they may sometimes be seen washing them-
selves with great satisfaction in the salt pools and plashes, and
when wounded swim with considerable vigor. While here
they feed upon diminutive coleoptera, very small shrimps,
minute shell-fish, which they probe out of the sand, some mol-
lusca, and occasionally the roots of the Zostera marina ; they
also swallow considerable quantities of small gravel, and be-
coming very fat, are nearly as well flavored as the Snipe, being
very superior to the other small species.
This species breeds in the Far North, and winters on the shores of
the Gulf of Mexico and southward, journeying to and fro along the
inland rivers as well. as by the sea-coast. It is still abundant in
New England, but flocks are not so numerous as formerly.
Note.—A few examples of the WESTERN SANDPIPER (Z.
occidentalis) have been taken in New England. It is very similar
to pusil/us, but has a longer bill and tarsus, and the plumage of
the upper parts is more distinctly rufous,
STILT SANDPIPER. 145
STILT SANDPIPER.
MICROPALAMA HIMANTOPUS.
Cuar. Bill nearly as long as a Snipe’s; legs much longer. Upper
parts mottled gray, black, and bay, or buff; wings darker; upper tail-
coverts white, barred with dusky; tail ashy gray; under parts dull white,
streaked and barred with dusky. In winter the prevailing color of the
upper parts is ashy gray. Length about 9 inches.
Nest. Near the sea-shore or on border of a lake, —a slight depres-
sion scantily lined with leaves and grass. It is sometimes hid in a tus-
sock of grass.
Eggs. 3-4; light drab or buffy white, marked with rich brown and
purplish gray; 1.45 X 1.00.
Nuttall wrote of this as of three species, — Stilt Sandpiper,
Long-legged Sandpiper, and Douglas’ Stilt Sandpiper. These
names apply to but one bird.
The present species was first described by Bonaparte in 1826,
but until within recent years it was thought to be exceedingly rare.
As late as 1868 there was no record of its occurrence in New Eng-
land, and even in 1881 the announcement that my friend Fred
Daniel had secured one of three examples he had discovered on
the flats near St. John, N. B., was hailed as “ important.”
We now know that the bird is not at all rare, and that its former
apparent scarcity was due to its rapid migrations.
The Stilt Sandpiper breeds in the Arctic regions, and winters on
the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and southward to Brazil and
Peru. On the passage north and south it makes long flights and
a few short halts; but small flocks have been seen at numerous
localities on the Atlantic coast and along the Mississippi valley
route. Several have been taken on the shores of the Great Lakes.
As far as its habits and manners are known, it appears to resem-
ble somewhat the Dowitcher and the Yellow-legs, with which it
frequently associates. It walks sedately like a Curlew, and has
little of the vivacity so conspicuous in the Sandpiper. Our bird
generally feeds along the margin of the beach, wading into the
water and following the edge of the wave as the water flows out
and in. It often probes into the sand, and acts as though securing
something by suction. On dissection, evidence has been found
that the bird’s food was at least partially composed of small shell-
fish and worms. When disturbed, it utters a sharp tweet tweet
before flying.
VOL. II. —— 10
WILLET.
SYMPHEMIA SEMIPALMATA.
CuaR. Upper parts brownish olive, spotted and streaked with dusky;
wings with large patch of white; tail-coverts white; tail ashy, with dark
bars; under parts white, the breast spotted with dusky, the sides washed
with buff and barred with dusky. In winter the upper parts are plain
ashy gray, and the lower parts dull white, unspotted. Bill dusky; legs
bluish gray. Length about 16 inches.
Vest. Hid amid grass or rushes on a salt meadow or inland marsh, —
a slight depression, scantily lined with grass.
Eggs. 4; olive with varying tints from brown to gray, marked with
rich brown and lilac; 2.15 X 1.50.
The Willet, as this well-known and large species is called,
inhabits almost every part of the United States, from the coast
of Florida to the distant shores and saline lakes in the vicinity
of the Saskatchewan, up to the 56th parallel of latitude, where,
as they pass the summer, they no doubt propagate there, as well
WILLET. 147
as in the Middle States of the Union. Their appearance in the
north of Europe is merely accidental, like the visit of the Ruff
in America, which has, indeed, no better claim in our Fauna
than that of the Willet in Europe, both being stragglers from
their native abodes and ordinary migrating circuits. From
the scarcity of this species on the shores of Massachusetts Bay,
it is more than probable that their northern migrations are
made chiefly up the great valley of the Mississippi; and they
have been seen in the spring by Mr. Say, near Engineer Can-
tonment, on the bank of the Missouri. A few straggling
families or flocks of the young are occasionally seen about the
middle of August on the muddy flats of Cohasset beach ; but
they never breed in this part of New England, though nests
are found in the vicinity of New Bedford.
The Willet probably passes the winter within the tropics, or
along the extensive shores of the Mexican Gulf. About the
middle of March, however, its lively vociferations of p7//-will-
willet, pill-will-willet begin commonly to be heard in all the
marshes of the sea-islands of Georgia and South Carolina. In
the Middle States these birds arrive about the 15th of April,
or sometimes later, according to the season; and from that
period to the close of July their loud and shrill cries, audible
for half a mile, are heard incessantly throughout the marshes
where they now reside. Towards the close of May the Willets
begin to lay. Their nests, at some distance from the strand,
are made in the sedge of the salt-meadows, composed of wet
rushes and coarse grass placed in a slight excavation in the
tump ; and during the period of incubation, as with some other
marsh-birds, the sides of the nest are gradually raised to the
height of five or six inches. The eggs, about four, very thick
at the larger end, and tapering at the opposite, are two
thirds the size of a common hen’s egg (measuring over two
inches in length, by one and a half in the greatest breadth) ;
they are of a pale bright greenish olive (sometimes darker),
largely blotched and touched with irregular spots of a bright
blackish-brown of two shades, mixed with a few other smaller
touches of a paler tint, the whole most numerous at the great
148 WADING BIRDS.
end. According to Wilson, the eggs are very palatable as food.
The young, covered with a gray-colored down, run off as soon
as freed from the shell, and are led about by the mother in
quest of their proper food, while the vociferous male keeps
careful watch for their safety. On entering these breeding-
places the spectator is beset by the Willets flying wildly around
and skimming over his head with the clamorous cry of pid/-will-
willet, accompanied at times, when much excited and alarmed
by an approach to the nest, with a loud clicking note, in the
manner of the Avocet. Exhausted with their vigilant and de-
fensive exertions, at times they utter a sad and plaintive note,
and occasionally alighting, slowly close their long, silvery, and
party-colored wings, as if acting a part to solicit compassion.
Among their most common and piratical enemies are the
Crows, who roam over the marshes in quest of eggs, and as
soon as they appear are attacked by the Willets in united num-
bers, who with loud vociferations pursue them off the ground.
During the term of incubation the female, fatigued with her
task, and occasionally leaving her eggs to the influence of the
ardent sun, resorts to the shore, and deeply wading, washes and
dresses her plumage, frequently emerging, and performing her
ablutions with an air of peculiar satisfaction. Indeed, the
Willets generally wade more than most of their tribe; and
when disabled from flying by a wound, they take to the water
without hesitation, and swim with apparent ease. The peculiar
note which characterizes and gives name to this remarkable
species of Chevalier is only uttered by the adults; and the
call of the young when associated by themselves appears to
be a kind of shrill and plaintive whistle almost like that of the
Curlew. The Willet subsists chiefly on small shell-fish, aquatic
insects, their larvae and mollusca, in quest of which it constantly
resorts to the muddy shores and estuaries at low water. In
the fall, when the flocks of young birds associate, which may
be easily known by the grayness of their plumage, they are
selected by the gunners in preference to the older and darker
birds, being tender, fat, and fine-flavored game. In the
months of October and November they gradually pass on to
WILLET. 149
their winter quarters in the warmer parts of the continent.
Transient flocks of the young, bred in high latitudes, visit the
shores of Cohasset by the middle of August; but timorous,
wild, and wandering, they soon hasten to rejoin the host they
had accidentally forsaken.
The Willet is found throughout temperate North America; but
the birds breeding on the Great Plains have lately been separated
from typical semzpalmata. The general breeding area of the pres.
ent race is given by Mr. D. G. Elliot as “from latitude 56° to
Texas.” The bird is rarely seen in New England and the Maritime
Provinces in summer, though quite common in both regions during
the fall migration, and breeding in numbers to the southward of
Long Island. Only a few examples have been seen in the region
of the Great Lakes, though farther south it is not uncommon in
the interior.
Note. —In 1887 Mr. William Brewster discovered that the
Willets breeding west of the Mississippi differed from Eastern
birds in size, color, and markings, the Western race being “larger,
with a longer, slenderer bill; the dark markings above fewer,
finer, and fainter on a much paler (grayish drab) ground; those
beneath duller, more confused, or broken, and bordered by pink-
ish salmon, which often spreads over or suffuses the entire under
parts excepting the abdomen. Middle tail-feathers either quite
immaculate or very faintly barred... . In the plain gray and
white winter dress the two forms appear to be distinguished only
by size ” (Brewster).
Mr. Brewster named the new form the WESTERN WILLET (S.
semipalmata inornata). This race breeds on the plains west to
the Rocky Mountains “from the source of the Saskatchewan to
California,” and in winter is found on the coasts of the South
Atlantic and Gulf States.
RUFF.
PavONCELLA PUGNAX.
Cuar. Upper parts variable, but usually mottled black, chestnut, buff,
and gray; lower back dark brown, with margin of chestnut or buff, wings
and tail dusky brown; neck and breast buff; belly dull white. During
the mating season — May and June —the male drops the feathers from
the sides of the face, and reddish warts appear there; at this time, also,
he wears a shield-like erectile ruff,— whence the name. Length about
12 inches.
Nest. On a dry knoll in a swamp in the midst of a clump of coarse
grass or sedges ; a slight depression lined with dead grass.
Eggs. 4; pale olive or olive gray, spotted with reddish brown; 1.60
xX 1.15.
The Ruff is a distinctly European species, —it is rare on the
British Isles. — but so many examples have been taken on this
RUFF. 151
side of the Atlantic that the bird’s claim to consideration in the
present connection cannot be ignored. Yet it must be considered
as a straggler only, — an accidental wanderer. Its breeding area
lies amid the desolate tundras of northern Siberia, and southward
to the fountains of the Danube and the upper valley of the Amoor.
From there it migrates in the autumn into Africa and southern
Asia.
The examples that have been obtained in America were taken
chiefly along the Atlantic shore between Long Island and the Bay
of Fundy. There is only one specimen recorded from the Great
Lake region, — taken near Toronto.
The Ruff differs from all others of the Waders in appearance
and in habits. The long feathers of the male render him easily
distinguished, and his polygamous habits quite as thoroughly sep-
arate him. Instead of wooing a mate after the manner of their
congeners, these wild libertines fight for a bevy of mistresses, the
pluckiest fighter winning the largest harem.
These contests are not rough-and-tumble mé/ée, but orderly
conducted duels. They occur on a common battle-ground, where
generation after generation of the birds assemble to do combat for
the possession of the females, — called Reeves, —and these gather
within sight and urge on their favorites. The battle-grounds are in
the midst of a swamp, and usually on an elevated knoll in an open
space.
During the encounter the combatants appear intensely excited
and act as if in desperation, and the excitement of the occasion is
increased by the wild screams of the Reeves. The duels are not
to the death, however, nor are they in the least degree bloody
affairs. These birds have sense enough to spar for points ; slug-
ging is barred. The attack is made wholly with the bill, — they
never strike with the foot, like a game-cock, as some writers have
stated, — and a few rounds end the affray, with no more harm to
the participants than an encounter with foils to human rivals, The
weaker bird retires, and the victor awaits another adversary. Occa-
sionally two or three duels are in progress at one time.
As might be expected, such habits are not conducive to domestic
felicity. The Reeve is soon abandoned by her temporary lover,
and when nesting-time arrives she is forced to build her nest alone,
and alone she rears her barbaric brood.
152 WADING BIRDS.
GREATER YELLOW-LEGS.
TELL-TALE. TATTLER. STONE SNIPE. WINTER YELLOW-
LEG.
TOTANUS MELANOLEUCUS.
Cuar. Upper parts dark ash varied with gray and white ; upper tail-
coverts white ; under parts white, breast and sides with dark streaks. In
winter the plumage is paler, the breast almost immaculate. Bill long and
slender; legs long. Length about 14 inches.
Nest. On the edge of marsh or open swamp ; a slight depression lined
with grass and weed stems.
£ggs. 4; dull gray or dark buff marked with brown and lilac; 1.45 X
1.20.
The Greater Yellow-Shanks, or Tell-Tale, so remarkable for
its noise and vigilance, arrives on the coast of the Middle
States early in April, and proceeding principally by an inland
route, is seen in abundance as far north as the plains of the
Saskatchewan, where, no doubt, in those desolate and secluded
marshes, far from the prying eye and persecuting hand of man,
the principal part of the species pass the period of reproduc-
tion, reappearing in the cooler parts of the Union towards the
close of August; yet so extensive is the breeding-range of the
Tell-Tale that many continue to occupy the marshes of
the Middle States until the approach of cold weather in the
month of November, breeding in their favorite resorts on the
borders of bogs, securing the nest in a tuft of rank grass or
sedge, and laying four eggs of a dingy white irregularly marked
with spots of dark brown or black, and which, according to
Mr. Hutchins, are large for the size of the bird, and of similar
markings in their Northern breeding-places. In Massachusetts,
as with many other birds, the present is so uncommon a spe-
cies that it may be considered almost as a straggler, arriving
in autumn with the few flocks which touch at the coast of Lab-
rador and Newfoundland, confining their visits, with Curlews,
Godwits, and many other wading birds, chiefly to the eastern
extremity of Cape Cod and Cape Ann, where multitudes of
these birds transiently assemble in spring and autumn (partic-
PLXIV.
1. Greater Yellow-Legs. 3. Red-Breasted Snipe.
2. Reddish Egret. 4. Long-Billed Curlew.
GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. 153
ularly in the vicinity of Chatham and Ipswich), and of which
but few penetrate inland, their next visit being usually to the
shores of Long Island in their further progress to the South.
In the spring, however, avoiding the long-continued eastwardly
storms of this climate, they are led to go inland by a more
favorable route, and have been seen at this season by Mr.
Say on the banks of the Missouri on their way to the interior
of the continent.
The vociferous vigilance of the Tell-Tale has justly stigma-
tized him with the present name ; for no sooner does the gun-
ner appear than his loud and shrill whistle of about four
rapidly repeated notes is instantly heard as he mounts on
wing, and proves generally so good a warning to all the rest of
his feathered neighbors, and particularly the vigilant Ducks,
that the whole, to the frequent disappointment of the fowler,
at once accompany their faithful and officious sentinel. At
times, indeed, without any particular motive to excitement,
except perhaps that of hilarity and vigor, they are seen to rise
high in the air, chattering so loudly as still to be heard when
beyond the reach of the eye. From their note they are called
by the Cree Indians of Hudson Bay Sasashew, and in this
part of New England they are usually known by the name of
the Winter Yellow- Leg.
The Tell-Tales, after taking up a summer residence in the
marshes, are no longer gregarious until the return of winter,
when, with the addition of the young, they rove about in small
parties until their final departure for the South. Like most of
the species, they frequent watery bogs and the muddy margins
of creeks and inlets, where they are often seen in quest of food
or standing in a watchful posture, alternately balancing them-
selves, raising or lowering the head and tail, and on the least
appearance of danger or surprise, which they readily perceive
from the elevation of their legs and the open places in which
they feed, their loud whistle is instantly heard and the tim-
orous and less watchful flocks are again in motion. They
sometimes penetrate, singly or in small numbers, some way
inland along the muddy shores of estuaries and rivers to the
154 WADING BIRDS.
extent of tide-water. Although they live principally upon the
insects and larve they find in the marshes, at a later period
they also pay occasional visits to the strand in quest of mol-
lusca, small shrimps, and minute shell-fish, the ordinary fare of
the true Sandpipers. In the fall, when fat, their flesh is highly
esteemed, and they are frequently brought to market.
The Tell-Tale occurs throughout this Eastern Province, breed-
ing from about latitude 50 degrees northward, and wintering in
Brazil and Chili. In the West it breeds as far south as Iowa and
Northern Illinois. On the Atlantic coast the birds are known as
migrants chiefly, though Mr. Brewster reports finding numbers on
Anticosti in summer, and a few have been seen in New England
at that season.
YELLOW-LEGS.
SUMMER YELLOW-LEGS. LESSER YELLOW-LEGS.
TOTANUS FLAVIPES.
CHAR. Upper parts dark ash varied with black, white, and gray;
upper tail-coverts white, streaked with dusky; tail ashy, barred with
white; wings dusky; under parts white, the breast and sides streaked
with dusky. In winter the plumage is paler; the upper parts are plain
ash, with few and less distinct markings. Length about 11 inches.
Vest. Amid the bushes on the margin of a marsh or lake; a slight
depression scantily lined with grass or leaves.
Zggs. 4; dull buff or pale drab, marked with brown and dull lilac;
1.70 X 1.15.
The Yellow-Shanks, in certain situations, may be considered
as the most common bird of the family in America. Its sum-
mer residence, or breeding-station, even extends from the
Middle States to the Northern extremity of the continent,
where it is seen, solitary or in pairs, on the banks of rivers,
lakes, or in marshes, in every situation contiguous to the
ocean. And though the young and old are found throughout
the warm season of the year in so many places, the nest and
eggs are yet entirely unknown. Calculating from the first
appearance of the brood abroad, the females commence laying
by the middle of June, and are seen in this neighborhood at
YELLOW-LEGS. 155
that season. These birds reside chiefly in the salt-marshes,
and frequent low flats and estuaries at the ebb of the tide,
wading in the mud in quest of worms, insects, and other small
marine and fluviatile animals. They seldom leave these mari-
time situations, except driven from the coast by storms, when
they may occasionally be seen in low and wet meadows as far
inland as the extent of tide-water. The Yellow-Shanks have a
sharp whistle of three or four short notes, which they repeat
when alarmed and when flying, and sometimes utter a simple,
low, and rather hoarse call, which passes from one to the
other at the moment of rising on the wing. They are very
impatient of any intrusion on their haunts, and thus often
betray, like the preceding, the approach of the sportsman to
the less vigilant of the feathered tribes, by flying around his
head, with hanging legs and drooping wings, uttering incessant
and querulous cries.
How far they proceed to the South in the course of the
winter is yet unknown; they however, I believe, leave the
boundaries of the Union. At the approach of winter, previous
to their departure for the South, they are observed to collect
in small flocks and halt for a time on the shores of Hudson
Bay. Accumulated numbers are now also seen to visit New
England, though many probably pass on to their hibernal
retreats by an inland route like the preceding, having indeed
been seen in the spring on the shores of the Missouri in par-
ticular situations by Mr. Say. They also seem to reside no less
in the interior than on the coast, as they were observed on
the shores of Red River, of Lake Winnipeg (latitude 49 de-
grees), on the 11th of August by the same gentleman; thus
subsisting indifferently on the productions of fresh as well as
salt water. At the approach of autumn small flocks here also
accompany the Upland Plover (Zosanus bartramius), flying
high and whistling as they proceed inland to feed, but return-
ing again towards the marshes of the sea-coast to roost. Some-
times, and perhaps more commonly at the approach of stormy
weather, they are seen in small restless bands roving over the
salt-marshes and tacking and turning along the meanders of
156 WADING BIRDS.
the river, now crossing, then returning ; a moment alighting, the
next on the wing. They then spread out and reconnoitre ; again
closing in a loose phalanx, the glittering of their wings and
snow-white tails are seen conspicuous as they mount into the
higher regions of the air; and now intent on some more dis-
tant excursion, they rise, whistling on their way, high over the
village spire and beyond the reach of danger, pursue their way
to some other clime or to explore new marshes and visit other
coasts more productive of their favorite fare. While skimming
along the surface of the neighboring river, I have been amused
by the sociability of these wandering waders. As they course
steadily along, the party, never very numerous, would be joined
by some straggling Peeps, who all in unison pursue their route
together like common wanderers or travellers, pleased and
defended by the access of any company.
Being a plentiful species, particularly in the latter end of
summer, when the young begin to flock, it is frequent in the
markets of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, —
with us more particularly abundant about the middle of August ;
and being then fat and well flavored, is esteemed for the
table. From the sympathy of these birds for each other, they
may be shot with facility if the sportsman, on the first dis-
charge, permits the wounded birds to flutter about, as in that
case the flock will usually make a circuit, and alighting repeat-
edly at the cries of their wounded companions, the greater
part of them may be shot down before they perceive the real
nature of their danger. Like Plovers, they can also be called
around the sportsman by an imitation of their whistle.
This species is more abundant in the Mississippi Valley than the
Greater Yellow-Legs; but on the Atlantic shores the smaller bird
is seldom seen in the spring, and is not always common during the
autumn. It breeds from Minnesota, Northern Illinois, Ohio, and
Northern New York northward to the Arctic, and winters in South
America.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER.
GREEN SANDPIPER.
TOTANUS SOLITARIUS.
Cuar. Upper parts brownish olive, spotted and streaked with white,
wings and tail dusky, outer tail-feathers white with dark bars; under
parts white, breast and sides with dark markings. In winter the plumage
of the upper parts is dark ash, and the markings are less distinct.
Nest. Ona dry knoll in a wet meadow or on the margin of a pond, —
a slight depression scantily lined with grass.
Eggs. ? pale buff thickly marked with brown and _ lilac;
1.30 X 0.90.
The Solitary Tatler of Wilson ‘s probably, with the change
of seasons, a general inhabitant of the whole North American
continent. Early in May it arrives in Pennsylvania from the
South, and a few individuals remain to breed, according to
the above author, in the marshy solitudes of the mountains of
Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania; the greater part of the
158 WADING BIRDS.
species proceed, however, to the boreal regions as far as the
extremity of the continent. According to Richardson, it
makes no nest, but merely deposits its eggs on the bare beach
or the gravelly banks of rivers; in such situations or near
mountain springs, brooks, or pools, these birds are seen solitary
or by pairs, running swiftly when alarmed or in pursuit of their
prey, and seldom taking wing until hard pressed, on which
occasion they make a short circular flight, and soon alight near
the same place to renew their search for subsistence. Occa-
sionally the Tatler stops and watches the observer, often nod-
ding or balancing its head and tail almost in the manner of
the European Wagtail (AZotaci¥/a). It is extremely unsuspi-
cious of danger, proceeding in its usual occupation almost
unconcerned when nearly approached ; in fact, the safety of
these birds is in no small measure due to their solitary and
retiring habits, as they are never seen on the strand of the sea,
nor collected into flocks, so as either to fall in the principal
path of the fowler, or to present themselves in sufficient
numbers for a successful’ shot. Their flesh, however, is well
flavored, and they are usually fat.
In Massachusetts Solitary Tatlers are only seen at the
commencement of cool weather. About the beginning of
September they arrive in single pairs apparently from the
North, at which time also they are supposed to descend from
their breeding-resorts in the mountains, and now frequent the
miry borders of tide-water streams and estuaries, as well as
small ponds, and, in short, any situation which affords the
means of subsistence with little labor. They feed principally
upon insects such as small coleoptera and caterpillars.
A pair, but oftener a single individual, have usually fre-
quented very familiarly the small fish-pond in the Botanic
Garden in Cambridge. Attracted by the numerous Dozatas
and their larve, which feed upon the water-lily (Wymphea
odorata), I observed one of them tripping along upon the
sinking leaves with great agility, expanding its wings and gently
flitting over the treacherous element in the manner of the Rail.
At another time probably the same individual (who at first
SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 159
was accompanied by a mate) was seen day after day collect-
ing insects, and contentedly resting in the interval on the
border of the pond. The water having been recently let off,
the lily leaves and insects were covered with mud; as soon
then as our little familiar and cleanly visitor had swallowed a
few of these insects, he washed them down with a drink of the
water, and at the same time took the precaution to cleanse his
bill and throat. Indeed, it is remarkable that however dirty
the employment of these shore-birds may be, so neat are they
in all their habits that not a stain or a soil is allowed for a
moment to remain upon their limbs or plumage. This species
is usually silent except when suddenly flushed, at which times
it utters a sharp whistle like most of the other kinds to which
it is related.
This bird is said to swim and dive with great facility when
disabled from flying, and proceed under water like the Divers.
The Solitary Sandpiper is a rather common bird, breeding from
about latitude 45° to the lower fur countries. A few pairs remain
in New England during the summer months.
Until quite recently the nest and eggs of this bird were unknown,
and even now so few have been discovered, and these few so
imperfectly identified, that fresh discoveries will be welcomed.
My friend Banks thinks he found an egg on the shore of Lily
Lake, near St. John, in 1880, and very probably he is correct;
but he could not prove it absolutely, for he could not get sight of
the parent on- the nest or moving away: from it. The nest was
in an open meadow, and within sight for a considerable distance ;
but though the egg was always warm when visited, the parent man-
aged to elude discovery. The only bird of the family seen in that
vicinity during the time the nest was under observation being of
the present species, and the nest and egg being somewhat different
from those other shore-birds known to breed there, led Banks to
suppose that the Solitary must be the parent. The egg found by
Banks was pale buff marked with brown, but a set of eggs taken
in Vermont by Mr. Richardson, the only authentic set recorded,
were described by Dr. Brewer as “light drab.”
Nore. — One example each of the GREEN SHANK (Totanus
nebularius) and the GREEN SANDPIPER (7° ochropus), both birds
of the Old World, have been taken on the Atlantic coast, the first-
named in Florida, the other in Nova Scctia.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
TIP-UP. TEETER-TAIL. PEET-WEET.
ACTITIS MACULARIA.
Cuar. Above, bright ash, tinged with green of a metallic lustre and
marked with black spots ; white line over the eyes; wings dusky ; under
parts white, profusely spotted with dull brown. In winter the upper parts
are grayish olive, and the under parts white without spots. Length about
7% inches.
Vest. Near the shore of river or lake or on the margin of a pasture,
under a bush, or amid tussock of grass or weeds, —a slight depression
lined with grass, moss, or leaves.
£ggs. 4; dull buff or creamy, spotted with dark brown; 1.25 X 0.90.
The Peet-Weet is one of the most familiar and common of
all the New England marsh-birds, arriving along our river
shores and low meadows about the beginning of May from
their mild or tropical winter-quarters in Mexico, and probably
the adjoining islands of the West Indies. By the zoth of
April, Wilson observed the arrival of these birds on the shores
of the large rivers in the State of Pennsylvania. They migrate
and breed from the Middle States in all probability to the con-
fines of the St. Lawrence or farther, but were not seen by
Dr. Richardson or any of the Arctic voyagers in the remote
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 161
boreal regions or around Hudson Bay, as had been asserted by
Hutchinson.
As soon as the Peet-Weet arrives on the coasts, small roving
flocks are seen at various times of the day coursing rapidly
along the borders of our tide-water streams, flying swift and
rather low, in circuitous sweeps along the meanders of the
creek or river, and occasionally crossing from side to side in
amore sportive and cheerful mien than they assume at the
close of autumn, when foraging becomes less certain. While
flying out in these wide circuits, agitated by superior feelings
to those of hunger and necessity, we hear the shores re-echo
the shrill and rapid whistle of ’weet, ‘weet, ‘weet, ’weet, usu-
ally closing the note with something like a warble as they
approach their companions on the strand. The cry then again
varies to "feet, weet weet weet, beginning high and gradually
declining into a somewhat plaintive tone. As the season
advances, our little lively marine wanderers often trace the
streams some distance into the interior, nesting usually in the
fresh meadows among the grass, sometimes even near the
house ; and I have seen their eggs Jaid in a strawberry bed,
whence the young and old, pleased with their allowed protec-
tion, familiarly probed the margin of an adjoining duck-pond
for their usual fare of worms and insects.
Like the preceding species, but more frequently, they have
the habit of balancing or wagging the tail, in which even the
young join as soon as they are fledged. From the middle to the
close of May, as they happen to arrive in the different climates
chosen for their summer residence, the pairs seceding from
their companions seek out a site for their nest, which is always
in a dry, open field of grass or grain, sometimes in the seclu-
sion and shade of a field of maize, but most commonly in a dry
pasture contiguous to the sea-shore ; and in some of the soli-
tary and small sea-islands, several pairs sometimes nest near to
each other, in the immediate vicinity of the noisy nurseries of
the quailing Terus. The nest, sunk into the bosom of a grassy
tuft, is slightly made of its withered tops, and with a thin
lining of hay or bent. The eggs, four in number, are of a
VOL. Il. — 11
162 WADING BIRDS.
grayish yellow or dull cream color marked with a great num-
ber of specks and spots of dark brown, with a very few of a
somewhat lighter shade, the whole most numerous at the larger
end ; they are about one and one fourth inches in length, and
very wide at the greater end. On being flushed from her eggs,
the female goes off without uttering any complaint; but when
surprised with her young, she practises all the arts of dissimu-
lation common to many other birds, fluttering in the path as
if badly wounded, and generally succeeds in this way so far to
deceive a dog, or perhaps squirrel, as to cause them to over-
look the brood for whose protection these instinctive arts are
practised. Nor are the young without their artful instinct, for
on hearing the reiterated cries of their parents, they scatter
about, and squatting still in the withered grass, almost exactly
their color, it is with careful search very difficult to discover
them, so that nine times out of ten they would be overlooked,
and only be endangered by the tread, which they would en-
dure sooner than betray their conscious retreat.
At a later period the shores and marshes resound with the
quick, clear, and oft-repeated note of peet wéet, peet weet, fol-
lowed up by a plaintive call on the young of feet, peet peet?
peet? If this is not answered by the scattered brood, a reite-
rated ’weet, ’weet, weet, ’wait wait is heard, the voice drop-
ping on the final syllables. The whole marsh and the shores
at times echo to this loud, lively, and solicitous call of the
affectionate parents for their brood. ‘The cry, of course, is
most frequent towards evening, when the little family, sep-
arated by the necessity of scattering themselves over the
ground in quest of food, are again desirous of reassembling to
roost. The young as soon as hatched run about in the grass,
and utter from the first a weak, plaintive sees, at length more
frequent and audible ; and an imitation of the whistle of ’pee¢
weet is almost sure to meet with an answer from the sympa-
thizing broods which now throng our marshes. When the note
appears to be answered, the parents hurry and repeat their
call with great quickness. The late Mr. William Bartram, so
long and happily devoted to the study of Nature, with which
SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 163
he delighted to associate, informed Wilson of the spirited de-
fence which one of these Peet-Weets made of her young
against the attacks of a Ground Squirrel. The place was on
the river shore; the female had thrown herself, with her two
young behind her, between them and the land; and at every
attempt of the enemy to seize them by a circuitous sweep, she
raised both her wings almost perpendicularly, and assuming this
formidable appearance, rushed towards the squirrel, who, intimi-
dated by this show of resistance, instantly retreated ; but soon
returning, was met, as before, in front and flank by the resolute
bird, who, with her wings and plumage bristled up, seemed
swelled to twice her usual size. The young crowded together
behind her, sensible of their peril, moving backwards and for-
wards as she advanced or retreated. In this way the contest
endured for about ten minutes, when, as the strength of our
little heroine began to fail, the friendly presence of the humane
relater put an end to the unequal and doubtful contest.
Young and old, previous to their departure, frequent the sea-
shores like most of the species, but never associate with other
kinds nor become gregarious, living always in families till the
time of their departure, which usually occurs about the middle
of October. While near the shore they feed on small shrimps,
coleoptera, and probably also mollusca.
The Spotted Sandpiper is abundant throughout North America.
It breeds in New England (though sparingly to the southward of
latitude 43°), westward to the Pacific and northward to Alaska.
Mr. D. G. Elliot says: ‘(In the Rocky Mountains this species is
found at high elevations, even up to the limit of timber, and is as
much at home at such lofty heights as at the level of the sea.”
164 WADING BIRDS.
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER.
UPLAND PLOVER. FIELD PLOVER.
BARTRAMIA LONGICAUDA.
Cuar. Upper parts brown, varied with buff and black; crown dusky
and divided by line of buff; wings and rump dusky; outer tail-feathers
rich buff and with a subterminal band of black and tips of white; under
. parts light buff, paler on chin; breast streaked with dusky. Bill about
as long as the head; legs rather long. Length about 12 inches.
Nest. In an open pasture or old meadow, —a mere depression in the
turf.
Eggs. 4; pale buff or creamy, marked with brown and lavender;
1.80 X 1.25.
Bartram’s Tatler, known here by the name of the Upland
Plover, so very distinct from the rest of the tribe with which
it is associated in the systems, is one of the most common
birds along the sea-coast of Massachusetts, making its appear-
ance, with its fat and well fed-brood, as early as the 2oth of
July, becoming more abundant towards the middle of August,
when the market of Boston is amply supplied with this delicate
and justly esteemed game.
According to the season of the year, these birds are found
throughout the continent, many retiring south of the equator
to pass the winter. They are observed in May already busily
gleaning coleopterous insects on the remote boreal plains of
the Saskatchewan, and abound in the extensive prairies west
of the Mississippi. At this time and in June they are seen
common also in Worcester County (Mass.), and are believed
to breed there. They are equally frequent on the plains of
Long Island and New Jersey, and in similar bare and dry
pastures in various parts of Massachusetts, particularly about
Sekonk, and in Rhode Island near to the sea-coast, where
they pass the greater part of the summer. Wilson, who first
described the species, met with it in the meadows of the
Schuylkill, pursuing insects among the grass with great activity.
The breeding-range of this species extends, in all probability,
from Pennsylvania to the fur countries of Upper Canada, as
BARTRAMIAN SANDPIPER. 165
well as westward on either side of the Mississippi. Scattering
broods and nests made in dry meadows are not uncommon a
few miles from Salem, where Mr. N. West informs me he saw
the young just fledged during the present season (1833) in
the month of July.
While here they feed much upon grasshoppers, which now
abound in every field, and become so plump as to weigh up-
wards of three quarters of a pound. They keep together usu-
ally in broods or small companies, not in gregarious swarms
like the Sandpipers, and when approached are, like Plovers,
silent, shy, and watchful, so that it requires some address to
approach them within gunshot. They run fast, the older
birds sometimes dropping their wings and spreading the tail,
as if attempting to decoy the spectator from paying attention
to their brood. On alighting they stand erect, remain still,
and on any alarm utter three or four sharp, querulous whistling
notes as they mount to fly. In the pastures they familiarly
follow or feed around the cattle, and can generally be best
approached from a cart or wagon ; for though very wary of man,
they have but little apprehension of danger in the company of
domestic animals. In August the roving families now ap-
proach the vicinity of the sea, resorting to feed and roost in
the contiguous dry fields. In the morning as they fly high in
the air in straggling lines, their short warbling whistle is some-
times heard high overhead, while proceeding inland to feed,
and the same note is renewed in the evening as they pass to
their roosts. It is also very probable that this is usually the
time they employ in their migrations to the South, which com-
mence here early in September and by the middle of that
month a few stragglers only are found.
The Upland Plover is still abundant in New England during the
migrations, and some breed here; but in the Maritime Provinces
the bird is uncommon, and it has not been taken on the north side
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is rarely met with in the region
of the Great Lakes, but is very abundant on the western plains,
where the birds congregate in immense flocks, — “sometimes in
thousands.” Their winter home is on the pampas of the Argen-
tine I public.
MARBLED GODWIT.
MARLIN.
LIMOSA FEDOA.
Cwar. Prevailing color dull rufous varied with black; rump and tail
barred; bill pinkish ; legs and feet black. Length 17 to 20 inches.
Vest. Near astream or lake, —a slight depression sparingly lined with
Tass.
: nes 3-4; pale buff or olive, marked with brown and lavender;
2.25 X 1.60.
The Marbled Godwit is only a transient visitor along the sea-
coasts of the United States in the spring and fall on its way to
and from its breeding-place in the North. According to Rich-
ardson, it abounds in the summer season in the interior of the
fur countries, being particularly plentiful on the Saskatchewan
plains, where it frequents marshes and bogs, walking on the
surface of the swamp-moss (.S/hagna), and thrusting down its
bill to the nostrils in quest of worms and leeches, which it dis-
covers by the sensitive point of its bill, thus finding means to
MARBLED GODWIT. 167
obtain a kind of food which would otherwise be imperceptible
to any other sense. It no doubt likewise varies this fare and
feeds also upon insects and larve. These birds arrive on the
coasts of the Middle States in the month of May, and linger
on till some time in June. Many, however, at this time have
already arrived at their ultimate destination in the North, so
that it is not improbable but some of these Godwits may breed
in more temperate regions to the west as well as north, select-
ing the high plains of the Rocky Mountains in situations suffi-
ciently moist. At all events, they are seen in the lower part of
Missouri in the course of the spring, but migrate like most
other waders along the sea-coast in the way to their tropical
winter quarters.
The Marbled Godwit in large flocks appears in the salt-
marshes of Massachusetts about the middle of August, par-
ticularly towards the eastern extremity of the bay, round
Chatham and the Vineyard ; their stay is, however, very short,
and they at the same time, no doubt, visit the eastern coast of
Long Island. On these occasions they assemble by many
hundreds together, and usually associate with the Short-Billed
Curlews, they themselves being called Red Curlews, — though
here they are distinguished also by the name of Doebirds,
and, being at this season fat, are highly esteemed for the
table. They are very shy and cautious; but when once con-
fused by the fall and cries of any of their companions, great
destruction may be made among them before they recover
from the delusion: they thus make repeated circuits round the
wounded and complaining, and may be enticed within gun-
shot by imitating their whistling call, after the manner of the
Curlew. Indeed, without some contrivance of this kind they
can seldom be approached.
These birds are abundant in the West, but on the Atlantic coast
they appear only in small flocks during the spring and autumn
migrations. They breed from Iowa to the Saskatchewan, and
winter in Central America and southward.
168 WADING BIRDS.
HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
RING-TAILED MARLIN.
LIMOSA HAMASTICA.
Cuar. Upper parts dusky, mottled with buff; head and neck rufous,
streaked with dusky ; rump dusky; tail-coverts mostly white ; tail dusky,
tipped with white ; under parts rich chestnut, barred with dusky. Length
14 to 16 inches.
LVvest. Near a stream or lake, —a slight depression, lined with a few
leaves or bits of grass.
£ggs. 3-4; grayish olive or hair brown, spotted with darker brown;
2.20 X 1.40.
The Hudsonian, or American Black-tailed Godwit, though
abundant in the Barren Grounds near the Arctic Sea, where it
breeds, is an uncommon visitor in the Eastern and Middle
States of the Union, although, from all analogy and the impos-
sibility of the species subsisting through the winters of its natal
regions, we are certain that the whole retire into mild climates
to pass the winter. They probably, like some other birds of
the same countries, retire southward by an inland route, or
even pass the autumn on the shores of the northwestern coast
of the continent. Be this as it may, the present bird is among
our greatest rarities, as I have seldom seen more than two or
three pair in the course of the season; these are found on the
neighboring coast of the Bay, and called by the market people
of Boston, Goose Birds. I obtained a solitary pair of these
stragglers about the 8th of September; they were very fat and
well flavored, scarcely distinguishable in this respect from the
Curlew, and appeared to have been feeding on some Uva or
other vegetable substance. Several pair of young and old
birds were brought to market this year (1833), from the 6th
to the 30th of the same month. An individual now in the
Philadelphia Museum was shot also near the coast of Cape
May, in New Jersey. They sometimes associate with the
Plovers, and descending to the marshes and the strand, feed
upon minute shell-fish, shrimps, and the roots of the Zostera.
According to Richardson, they frequent boggy lakes, like the
DOWITCHER. 169
preceding probing the Sphagnum and mud in quest of insects
and minute shell-fish. The manners of this bird are similar to
those of the Z. fedoa, and in most respects it makes an ap-
proach to the Black-tailed species of Europe ; it is, however,
somewhat larger, and readily contradistinguished.
The Hudsonian Godwit is more frequently seen on the Atlantic
coast than is its larger relative, but it is not at all common, and is
seen only or generally in the autumn. It breeds in the higher
Arctic regions, — on the Barren Grounds, — and winters in South
America.
Note. — The BLACK-TAILED Gopwit (Limosa limosa) occurs
occasionally in Greenland.
DOWITCHER.
BROWN-BACK. ROBIN-SNIPE. RED-BREASTED SNIPE.
GRAY SNIPE.
MacRORHAMPUS GRISEUS.
CuHar. Summer: above, dusky, varied with bay; rump white, barred
with dusky ; tail with black and buff bars; below, bay, varied with dusky.
In winter the upper parts are dark gray, the rump pure white, and the
lower parts white, shaded on the breast with gray. Length about 10%
inches. Similar to Wilson’s Snipe, but distinguished by its longer legs.
Nest. On marshy border of pond or stream, —a depression in the turf
lined with leaves and grass.
Eggs. 4; pale olive brown, spotted with dark brown; 1.70 X 1.15.
The Red-breasted Snipe begins to visit the sea-coast of New
Jersey early in April, arriving from its winter quarters, probably
in tropical America. After spending about a month on the
muddy marshes and sand-flats left bare by the recess of the
tides, a more powerful impulse than that of hunger impels
the wandering flocks towards their natal regions in the North,
where, secluded from the prying eye of man, and relieved from
molestation, they pass the period of reproduction, the wide
range of which continues, without interruption, from the bor-
ders of Lake Superior to the shores of the Arctic Sea. On the
170 WADING BIRDS.
plains of the Saskatchewan, according to Richardson, they feed
much upon leeches and coleoptera, for which, no doubt, they
probe the mud and sphagnum of the bogs and marshes, —a habit
which they also pursue while here, on their way to the South,
particularly collecting the larva of aquatic insects, such as
Libellule and others. The nest and eggs of this species are
yet unknown. The ovaries in females killed in May were
already swelled to the size of peas. By the 2oth of July or
beginning of August they revisit the shores of New England
and the Middle States in large flocks recruited by their young.
These are already full grown, in good condition for the table,
and are at all times greatly esteemed for their excellent flavor.
The Red-breasted Snipes are always seen associated in flocks,
and though many are bred in the interior around the Great
Northern Lakes, they now all assemble towards the sea-coast, as
a region that affords them an inexhaustible supply of their
favorite food of insects, mollusca, and small shellfish ; and here
they continue, or a succession of wandering and needy bands,
until the commencement of cold weather advertises them of
the approach of famine, when, by degrees, they recede beyond
the southern limits of the Union. While here they appear
very lively, performing their aérial evolutions over the marshes
at a great height sometimes in the air, uttering at the same
time a loud, shrill, and quivering whistle, scarcely distinguish-
able from that of the Yellow-Legged Tatler (something like
'#¢-té-te, 'té-té-te). The same loud and querulous whistling is
also made as they rise from the ground, when they usually
make a number of circuitous turns in the air before they de-
scend, At all times gregarious, in the autumn and spring they
sometimes settle so close together that several dozens have
been killed at a single shot. While feeding on the shores or
sandbars, they may be sometimes advantageously approached
by a boat, of which, very naturally, they have but little fear or
suspicion ; nor are they at any time so shy as the Common Snipe,
alighting often within a few rods of the place where their com-
panions have been shot, without exhibiting alarm until harassed
by successive firing. Besides mollusca, they occasionally vary
DOWITCHER. 171
their fare with vegetable diet, such as the roots of the Zosra
marina, and I have also found in their stomachs the whitish
oval seeds of some marsh or aquatic plant. They likewise, in
common with the Sandpipers and many other wading birds,
swallow gravel to assist the trituration of their food.
We know to-day something more than Nuttall could tell us of the
nesting habits of the Dowitcher, or “Deutscher’s Snipe,” as the
bird was originally called, to distinguish it from the “English
Snipe,” now known as Wilson’s. Our bird is still called *‘ German
Snipe” at some localities on the coast.
A number of nests have been taken in the Far North, where the
birds find suitable feeding-grounds in the bogs and marshes amid
the barren lands bordering the Arctic Ocean. Stragglers from the
main flocks are met with in summer throughout the fur countries
and down to the forty-fourth parallel; but it does not follow that
they breed so far to the southward. Large flocks appear on the
Atlantic coast during both the spring and autumn migrations,
though they seem to pass over New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
without alighting, in the spring. But they move northward rapidly
and with few stoppages, while they return quite leisurely and are
therefore considered more abundant in the autumn in all localities.
In the vicinity of the Great Lakes the birds are rarely seen, though
it is known that large flocks journey north and south by way of the
Mississippi Valley and across the Great Plains. In winter the
birds are found in the West Indies and Brazil.
Note. — The Lonc-B1.LED DowITCHER (MV. scolopaceus) has
lately been separated from grésezs. It is a larger bird, with a
longer bill; and though chiefly confined to the Western Province,
examples are seen regularly on the Atlantic coast.
WILSON’S SNIPE.
ENGLISH SNIPE. COMMON SNIPE. JACK SNIPE. SHAD BIRD.
GALLINAGO DELICATA.
CuHar. Above, mottled brown, black, and buff; tail with subterminal
bars of rufous and black ; crown dusky, with medial stripe of buff; neck
and breast pale brown, spotted with dusky; belly white, sides with dark
bars. Length about 11 inches.
Nest. Amida tussock of grass or bunch of moss in a wet meadow or
margin of a marsh, —a slight depression in the turf sparingly lined with
grass, leaves, or feathers.
Eggs. 3-4; olive of various shades, spotted with brown and lavender ;
1.55 X 1.10.
The Snipe of North America, so nearly related to that of
Europe, is found, according to the season, in every part of the
continent, from Hudson Bay to Cayenne, and does not appear,
indeed, sufficiently distinct from the Brazilian Snipe of Swain-
son, which inhabits abundantly the whole of South America as
far as Chili. Many winter in the marshes and inundated river
grounds of the Southern States of the Union, where they are
WILSON’S SNIPE. 173
seen in the month of February, frequenting springs and boggy
thickets ; others proceed along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico,
and even penetrate into the equatorial regions.
By the second week in March, flocks of Wilson’s Snipe begin
to revisit the marshes, meadows, and low grounds of the Mid-
dle States, and soon after they arrive in New England. In
mild and cloudy weather, towards evening, and until the last
rays of the setting sun have disappeared from the horizon, we
hear, as in the North of Europe, the singular tremulous mur-
murings of the Snipes, making their gyratory rounds so high in
the air as scarcely to be visible to the sight. This humming,
or rather flickering and somewhat wailing, sound has a great
similarity to the booming of the Night Hawk (Caprimulgus),
but more resembles the sound produced by quickly and inter-
ruptedly blowing into the neck of a large bottle than the whir-
ring of a spinning-wheel. But however difficult and awkward
may be our attempts to convey any adequate idea of this quail-
ing murmur, it seems to be, to its agent, an expression of
tender feeling or amatory revery, as it is only uttered at the
commencement and during the early part of the pairing sea-
son, while hovering over those marshes or river meadows
which are to be the cradle and domicile of their expected pro-
geny, as they have already been of themselves and their mates.
This note is probably produced by an undulatory motion of
air in the throat while in the act of whirling flight, and ap-
pears most distinct as the Snipe descends towards the ground.
However produced, the sound and its originators are com-
monly so concealed by the fast-closing shades of night, and
the elevation from whence it issues in cloudy weather, that-the
whole seems shrouded in mystery. My aged maternal parent
remembered, and could imitate with exactness, this low, wailing
murmur, which she had for so many years heard over the
marshes of my native Ribble, in the fine evenings of spring,
when all Nature seemed ready to do homage for the bounties
of the season; and yet at the age of seventy, the riddle had
not been expounded with satisfaction.
Over the wide marshes of Fresh Pond, about the middle of
174 WADING BIRDS.
April, my attention was called to the same invisible voice,
which issued from the floating clouds of a dark evening; the
author was here called the Alewife Bird, from its arrival with
the shoals of that fish in the neighboring lake. From the ele-
vation at which the sound issued, probably, it appeared less
loud and distinct than that which I have since heard from the
English Snipe. I imagined then that the noise was made by
the quick and undulatory fanning of the wings ; but this would
not produce the shrillness of tone by which it is characterized,
as any one may satisfy himself by hearkening to the very dif-
ferent low buzz made by the wings of the Humming Bird. In
this instance, as well as in the former, all my sporting acquaint-
ance were familiar with this quivering call, but had never
decided upon its author. At the same time I observed, flying
high and rapid, a pair of these Snipes, probably instigated by
anger and jealousy, who then uttered a discordant quacking
sound, — something like the bleat they make when they have
descended to the ground, and which they accompany with an
attitude of peculiar stupidity, balancing the head forwards, and
the tail upwards and downwards, like the action of some autom-
aton toy, jerked and set in motion by a tight-drawn string.
After incubation, which takes place rather early in the spring,
the humming is no longer heard, and the sprightly aerial evo-
lutions which appeared so indefatigable have now given way
to sedater attitudes and feebler tones. A few pairs no doubt
breed in the extensive and almost inaccessible morasses of
Cambridge ponds or lagoons; and I have been informed that
they select a tuft of sedge for the foundation of the nest, which
is constructed with considerable art. The eggs, like those of
the European species, about four, are perhaps alike olivaceous
and spotted with brown. These birds probably scatter them-
selves over the interior of the continent to breed, nowhere
associating in great numbers ; nor are they at all common in the
hyperboreal retreats chosen by so many of the other wading
birds. My friend Mr. Ives, of Salem, also informs me that a
few pairs of this species breed in that vicinity.
The Snipe, almost nocturnal in its habits, conceals itself with
WILSON’S SNIPE. 175
assiduity in the long grass, sedge, and rushes of its enswamped
and boggy retreat. Aware of danger from the approach of the
sportsman, it springs at a distance with great rapidity, uttering
usually a feeble squeak ; and making several inflections before
it takes a direct course, it becomes very difficult to shoot, and
is more easily caught with a snare or springe similar to that
which is set for Woodcocks. Being deservedly in high repute
as an exquisite flavored game, great pains are taken to obtain
Snipes. In the spring season on their first arrival they are
lean; but in the autumn, assembled towards the coast from all
parts of the interior, breeding even to the banks of the Missis-
sippi, they are now fat and abundant, and, accompanied by
their young, are at this time met with in all the low grounds
and enswamped marshes along the whole range of the At-
lantic ; but ever shy and dexterous, they are only game for the
most active and eager sportsmen. When on the wing they
may, like many other birds of this family, be decoyed and
attracted by the imitation of their voice. They are, like the
European Snipe, which migrates to winter in England, by no
means averse to cold weather, so long as the ground is not
severely frozen in such a manner as to exclude their feeding ;
so that even in Massachusetts they are found occasionally down
to the middle of December. They are nowhere properly gre-
garious, but only accidentally associate where their food hap-
pens to be abundant. For this purpose they are perpetually
nibbling and boring the black, marshy soil, from which they
sometimes seem to collect merely the root-fibres which it hap-
pens to contain, though their usual and more substantial fare
consists of worms, leeches, and some long-legged aquatic in-
sects ; the Snipe of Europe also seizes upon the smaller species
of Scarabeus. Their food, no doubt, is mixed with the black
and slimy earth they raise while boring for roots and worms,
and which in place of gravel, or other hard substances, ap-
pears to be the usual succedaneum they employ to assist their
digestion and distend the stomach.
The habits of this bird are well known to every sportsman in
North America, for it ranges throughout the continent, and is
176 WADING BIRDS.
common at times in almost every suitable locality. Its general
breeding area extends from Hudson Bay and Alaska southward
to about latitude 45°, and a few nests have been taken south
of that line. In winter the birds are found in the Gulf States and
southward.
Note.— The EvROPEAN SNIPE (Gallinago gallinago), which
is somewhat similar in appearance to the American bird, occurs
regularly in Greenland, and has been taken in Bermuda.
AMERICAN WOODCOCK.
BOG-SUCKER.
PHIILOHELA MINOR.
Cuar. Above, mottled tawny, black, and gray; beneath, pale rufous
or tawny buff, tinged with gray. Head peculiar; neck short; body
stout; bill long and straight; legs and tail short. Length about 11
inches.
Nest. Sometimes in a wet meadow or on the margin of a swamp, but
often in a dry woodland or on a shaded hillside, — placed amid a tuft of
grass or at the foot of a tree or stump; a slight depression sparingly lined
with leaves or grass.
Eggs. 4; creamy or pale buff spotted with brown and lavender;
1.55 X 1.15.
The American Woodcock, like the Snipe, appears again to
be a near representative of that of Europe, whose manners
and habits it almost entirely possesses, differing, however, ma-
terially in the temperature of the climates selected for its resi-
dence, confining itself in the summer to the south side of the
St. Lawrence, breeding in all the intermediate space as far as
the limits of the Middle States, and retiring in winter for the
most part either to or beyond the boundary of the Union.
The European species, on the contrary, courting cooler cli-
mates, winters in Great Britain and the North of Europe, and
retires as early as March to breed in the Alps or in the frigid
wilds of Sweden, Norway, Russia, and penetrates even to the
icy shores of Greenland and the heaths of Iceland. About the
same period, early in March, the American Woodcock revisits
Pennsylvania, and soon after the New England or Eastern
AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 177
States. Indeed, so sedentary are these birds at times that a
few are known to winter in the sheltered forests and open
watery glades of Pennsylvania; at the same season also many
are seen in the vicinity of Natchez in Mississippi. According
to their usual habits, they keep secluded in the woods and
thickets till the approach of evening, when they sally forth to
seek out springs, paths, and broken soil, in quest of worms
and other insects on which they feed. They now disperse
themselves over the country to breed, and indicate their pres-
ence in all directions by the marks of their boring bills, which
are seen in such soft and boggy places as are usually sheltered
by thickets and woods. ‘They also turn over the fallen leaves
from side to side with their bills in quest of lurking insects,
but never scratch with their feet, though so robust in their
appearance. The sensibility possessed by the extremity of
the bill, as in the Snipe, is of such an exquisite nature that they
are enabled to collect their food by the mere touch without
using their eyes, which are set at such a distance and elevation
in the back part of the head as to give the bird a remarkable
aspect of stupidity. When flushed or surprised in their hiding-
places, they only rise in a hurried manner to the tops of the
bushes or glide through the undergrowth to a short distance,
when they instantly drop down again, and run out for some
space on touching the ground, lurking as soon as they imagine
themselves in a safe retreat. At times in open woods they fly
out straight with considerable vigor and swiftness; but the
effort, from the shortness of the wing, is always attended with
much muscular exertion.
During the mating season, in the morning as well as eve-
ning, but more particularly the latter, the male in the vicinity
of his mate and nest rises successively in a spiral course like
a Lark. While ascending he utters a hurried and feeble
warble ; but in descending, the tones increase as he approaches
towards the ground, and then, becoming loud and sweet, pass
into an agreeable, quick, and tumultuous song. As soon as the
performer descends, the sound ceases for a moment, when with
a sort of stifled utterance, accompanied by a stiff and balancing
VOL. I. — 12
178 WADING BIRDS.
motion of the body, the word 4/azk, and sometimes aif paif,
is uttered. This uncouth and guttural bleating seems a singular
contrast to the delightful serenade of which this is uniformly
the close. I heard this piping and bleating in the marshes of
West Cambridge on the 15th of April, and the birds had
arrived about the first week in that month. This nocturnal
music continued at regular intervals, and in succession until
near nine o’clock in the evening, and is prolonged for a
number of days during the period of incubation, probably
ceasing with the new cares attendant on the hatching of the
brood. The female, as in the European species, is greatly
attached to her nest, and an instance is related to me of a hen
being taken up from it and put on again without attempting
to fly. Mr. Latham mentions a female of the Common Wood-
cock sitting on her eggs so tamely that she suffered herself to
be stroked on the back without offering to rise, and the male,
no less interested in the common object of their cares, sat also
close at hand. The European species has had the credit of
exercising so much ingenuity and affection as to seize upon
one of its weakly young and carry it along to a place of
security from its enemies. Mr. Ives, of Salem, once on flush-
ing an American Woodcock from its nest, was astonished to
see that it carried off in its foot one of its brood, the only one
which happened to be newly hatched; and as the young run
immediately on leaving the shell, it is obvious that the little
nursling could be well reared, or all of them as they might
appear, without the aid of the nest, now no longer secured
from intrusion. In New England this highly esteemed game is
common in the markets of Boston to the close of October,
but they all disappear in the latter part of December. In this
quarter of the Union they are scarcely in order for shooting
before the latter end of July or beginning of August; but from
this time to their departure they continue in good condition
for the table.
The springes, or springers, set for Woodcocks in Europe in
places they are found to frequent by the evidence of their
borings, etc., are commonly formed of an elastic stick, to
AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 179
which is fastened a horse-hair noose put through a hole in a
peg fastened into the ground, to which a trigger is annexed ;
and in order to compel the Woodcock to walk into the trap,
an extended fence is made on each side by small sticks set
up close enough to prevent the bird passing between them.
These concentrate at the trap, so that in this funnel-shaped
fence the bird in feeding is made to pass through the narrow
passage, and is almost to a certainty caught by the legs.
As the season advances and food begins to fail, by reason of
inclement and cold weather, the Woodcocks leave the interior ;
and approaching the shelter of the sea-coast and the neighbor-
ing marshes, they now become abundant, and are at such times
late in autumn killed in great numbers. These are also their
assembling points previous to their southern migrations, which
are performed in a desultory and irregular manner, their mo-
tions, as usual, being mostly nocturnal or in the twilight; and
though many are now met with in the same low meadows and
marshes, they are brought together by common necessity,
and never move in concerted flocks. At this season their
movements are not betrayed by any note or call; the vocal
powers of the species are only called into existence at the
period of propagation ; at other times they move and start to
wing in silence. The young run or wander off as soon as they
are hatched, are at this period covered with a brownish-white
down, and on being taken utter a slender bleat or clear and
long-drawn péep.
This famous game-bird is common in the Maritime Provinces,
but is rarely found on the northern side of the Gulf of St. Law-
rence. It is common also in Southern Ontario, but in the Mus-
koka district is rather rare. It is known to breed throughout its
Canadian range, and southward through the Middle States and
westward to the Plains. It winters in the Southern States.
i
‘
Note. — The EvropzeAN Woopcock (Scolopax rusticola), a
much larger bird, occurs occasionally on this side of the Atlantic,
VIRGINIA RAIL.
RED-BREASTED RAIL, LESSER CLAPPER RAIL.
RALLUS VIRGINIANUS.
Cuar. General coloration rufous. Above, tawny olive striped with
dusky ; wing-coverts rich bay; crown dusky ; below, light reddish brown,
paler on the belly. Length about 9% inches.
Nest. On the ground amid a tuft of grass on the marshy margin of a
jake or stream, sometimes in a salt-marsh, usually placed close to the
water’s edge, — a deep, saucer-shaped affair of reed-stalks and grass, and
rather compactly built.
fggs. 6-12 (usually 8); pale cream or reddish buff, spotted with brown
and lavender; 1.25 X 0.90.
The Virginian or Lesser Clapper Rail, scarcely distinguish-
able from the preceding but by its inferior size, is likewise a
VIRGINIA RAIL. 181
near representative of the Water Rail of Europe, with whose
habits in all respects it nearly agrees. But in every part of
America it appears, to be a rare species compared with the
Mud Hen or common Clapper Rail. It is also wholly con-
fined to the fresh-water marshes, and never visits the borders
of the sea. In New Jersey it is indeed ordinarily distinguished
as the Fresh-Water Mud Hen; so constant is this predilection,
connected probably with its choice of food, that when met
with in salt-marshes it is always in the vicinity of fresh-water
springs, which ooze through them or occupy their borders.
From this peculiarity in its choice of wet grounds, it is conse-
quently seen in the interior, in the vicinity of bogs and swampy
thickets, as far west as the States of Ohio, Kentucky, and
probably Illinois and Michigan. Its migrations, however,
along the neighborhood of the coast do not extend probably
farther than the shores of the St. Lawrence, as it is unknown
in the remote fur countries of the North, and retires from the
Middle States in November at the commencement of frost,
It revisits Pennsylvania early in May, and is soon after seen in
the fresh marshes of this part of Massachusetts. How far it
retires, in the course of the winter, towards the South, is yet
unknown, though from its absence, apparently, from the warmer
parts of the continent, it probably migrates little farther than
the southern extremity of the Union. Its habit of closely
hiding in almost inaccessible swamps and marshes renders it a
difficult task even to ascertain its presence at any time; and,
like the preceding, it skulks throughout most part of the day
in the long sedge and rushes, only venturing out to feed in the
shade and obscurity of the twilight. Its food is most com-
monly marsh insects and their larve, as well as small worms and
univalve shell-fish, it rarely, if ever, partaking of vegetable diet.
The Virginian Rail commences laying soon after its arrival
in the early part of May. The nest, situated in the wettest
part of the marsh, is fixed in the bottom of a sedgy tussock
and composed of withered grass and rushes. The eggs are
similar to those of the European Water Rail, being of a dirty
white or pale cream color, sprinkled with specks of brownish
182 WADING BIRDS.
red and pale purple, most numerous at the great end. In the
Middle States this bird is believed to raise two broods in the
season. The female is so much attached to her eggs, after
sitting, as sometimes to allow of being taken up by the hand
rather than desert the premises, — which affection appears the
more necessary as the male seems to deserts his mate and leave
her in the sole charge of her little family.
About the 18th of June, in this vicinity, in a wet part of the
salt-marsh making into a fresh meadow near Charles River,
one moonlight evening as late as nine o’clock I heard a busy
male of this species calling out at short intervals in a guttural,
creaking tone, almost like the sound of a watchman’s rattle,
"hut-a-cut tee-ah, — the call sometimes a little varied. At this
time, no doubt, his mate was somewhere sitting on her eggs in
some tuft of the tall marine grass (Spartina glabra) which
overhung the muddy inlet near which he took his station.
The young, for some time after being hatched, are covered
wholly with a jet-black down, and running with agility, are
now sometimes seen near the deep marshes, straying into the
uplands and drier places, following the careful mother much in
the manner of a hen with her brood of chickens. When sepa-
rated from the parent at a more advanced age, their slender
peep, peep, peep, is heard and soon answered by the attentive
parent. The female when startled in her watery retreat often
utters a sharp, squeaking scream apparently close at hand,
which sounds like ’£eek, ’keek, "kek ; on once approaching, as
I thought, the author of this discordant and timorous cry, it
still slowly receded, but always appeared within a few feet of
me, and at length pressing the pursuit pretty closely, she rose
for a little distance with hanging legs, and settled down into a
ditch among some pond-lily leaves, over which she darted and
again disappeared in her paths through the tall sedge, scream-
ing at intervals, as I now found, to give warning to a brood
of young which had at first probably accompanied her and
impeded her progress.
When seen, which is but rarely, the Virginian Rail, like the
other species, stands or runs with the neck outstretched and
PLXY.
1. Sora. Bh Clapper Rail.
5. Flamingo.
2. Virginia Rail. 4;. Yellow Rail.
CLAPPER RAIL. 183
with the short tail erect and frequently jerked. It is never
seen to perch on trees or shrubs, and is most of the time
on its feet. Its flesh is scarcely inferior to that of the Com-
mon Rail, but its scarcity and diminutive size relieve it from
much attention as game. Late in autumn, a little time previ-
ous to their departure, these birds occasionally wander out
into the neighboring salt-marshes, situated at a distance from
the sea, — a route by which in all probability they proceed in
a solitary and desultory manner towards the milder regions of
the South. At this time also they often roost among the reeds,
by ponds, in company with the different kinds of Blackbirds,
clinging, no doubt, to the fallen stalks on which they pass the
night over the water. They swim and dive also with ease and
elegance; but like their whole tribe of Long-Footed Birds,
they are swiftest on land, and when pushed depend upon their
celerity over the covered marsh as a final resort.
This Rail is acommon summer visitor to the Maritime Provinces
and westward to Manitoba, but rarely ranges north of the fiftieth
parallel. Its breeding area extends southward to Long Island and
Pennsylvania.
CLAPPER RAIL.
SALT-WATER MEADOW HEN. MUD HEN. BIG RAIL.
RALLUS CREPITANS.
Cuar. Above, ashy gray striped with brown and tinged with olive;
wings and tail brown; below, pale buff, flanks darker and barred with
white; breast shaded with ash; throat white. General coloration gray
without rufous tint. Bill long, slender, and decurved. Length 13% to
1534 inches.
Nest. Artfully concealed amid the rank grass of a salt-marsh, —a
loosely arranged cushion of dry rushes and grass.
Eggs. 6-13 (usually about 9); pale buff, marked with reddish brown
and lavender; size extremely variable, average about 1.70 X 1.20.
The Clapper Rail is a numerous and well-known species in
all the Middle and Southern States, but is unknown in this
part of New England, or in any direction farther to the north,
being unnoticed by Richardson in his “ Northern Zoology.”
184 WADING BIRDS.
According to Wilson, these Rails arrive on the coast of New
Jersey about the zoth of April, and probably winter within the
southern boundaries of the Union, or in the marshes along the
extensive coast of the Mexican Gulf, as they are seen by Feb-
ruary on the shores of Georgia in great numbers. In the
course of their migrations, in the hours of twilight, they are
often heard on their way, in the spring, by fishermen and
coasters. Their general residence is in salt-marshes, occa-
sionally penetrating a short distance up the large rivers as far
as the bounds of tide-water. In the vast flat and grassy
marshes of New Jersey, intersected by innumerable tide-
water ditches, their favorite breeding-resorts, they are far
moore numerous than all the other marsh-fowl collectively.
The arrival of the Mud Hen (another of their common
appellations) is soon announced through all the marshes by
its loud, harsh, and incessant cackle, heard principally in the
night, and is most frequent at the approach of a storm. About
the middle of May the females commence laying, dropping
the first egg into a slight cavity scratched for its reception,
and lined with a small portion of dry grass, as may be con-
venient. During the progress of laying the complement of
about ten eggs, the nest is gradually increased until it attains
about the height of a foot, —a precaution or instinct which
seems either to contemplate the possibility of an access of the
tide-water, or to be a precaution to conceal the eggs or young,
as the interest in their charge increases. And indeed to con-
ceal the whole with more success, the long sedge grass is
artfully brought together in an arch or canopy; but however
this art and ingenuity may succeed in ordinary cases, it only
serves to expose the nest to the search of the fowler, who can
thus distinguish their labors at a considerable distance. The
eggs, more than an inch in breadth, and about one and three
fourths in length, are of the usual oval figure, of a yellowish
white or dull cream color sparingly spotted with brown red
and a few other interspersed minute touches of a subdued
tint bordering on lilac purple; as usual, there are very few
spots but towards the obtuse end. The eggs are much
CLAPPER RAIL. 185
esteemed for food, being frequently collected by the neigh-
boring inhabitants; and so abundant are the nests in the
marshes of New Jersey that a single person, accustomed to
the search, has been known to collect a hundred dozen in the
course of a day. Like other gregarious and inoffensive birds,
they have numerous enemies besides man; and the crow, fox,
and minx come in for their share, not only of the eggs and
young, but also devour the old birds besides. From the
pounce of the Hawk they can more readily defend themselves
by dodging and threading their invisible paths through the
sedge. The nature of the ground they select for their nurse-
ries and its proximity to the sea, renders their thronging com-
munity liable also to accidents of a more extensively fatal
kind; and sometimes after the prevalence of an eastwardly
storm, not uncommon in the early part of June, the marshes
become inundated by the access of the sea, and great numbers
of the Rails perish, — at least, the females, now sitting, are so
devoted to their eggs as to remain on the nest and drown
rather than desert it. At such times the males, escaping from
the deluge, and such of their mates as have not yet begun to
sit, are seen by hundreds walking about, exposed and bewil-
dered, while the shores for a great extent are strewed with the
dead bodies of the luckless females. The survivors, however,
wasting no time in fruitless regret, soon commence to nest
anew ; and sometimes when their nurseries have been a second
time destroyed by the sea, in a short time after, so strong is
the instinct and vigor of the species that the nests seem as
numerous in the marshes as though nothing destructive had
ever happened.
The young of the Clapper Rail are clad, at first, in the same
black down as those of the Virginian species, and are only dis-
tinguishable by their superior size, by having a spot of white
on their auriculars, and a line of the same color along the side
of the breast, belly, and fore part of the thigh. They run very
nimbly through the grass and reeds, so as to be taken with
considerable difficulty, and are thus, at this early period, like
their parents, without the aid of their wings, capable of elud-
186 WADING BIRDS.
ing almost every natural enemy they may encounter. Indeed,
the principal defence of the species seems to be in the vigor
of their limbs and the compressed form of their bodies, which
enables them to pass through the grass and herbage with the
utmost rapidity and silence. They have also their covered paths
throughout the marshes, hidden by the matted grass, through
which they run like rats, without ever being seen ; when close
pressed, they can even escape the scent of a dog by diving
over ponds or inlets, rising and then again vanishing with the
silence and celerity of something supernatural. In still pools
this bird swims pretty well, but not fast, sitting high on the
water with the neck erect, and striking with a hurried rapidity
indicative of the distrust of its progress in that element, which
it immediately abandons on approaching the leaves of any
floating plants, particularly the pond-lilies, over whose slightly
buoyant foliage it darts with a nimbleness and dexterity that
defies its pursuers, and proves that however well it may be
fitted for an aquatic life, its principal progress, and that on
which it most depends when closely followed, is by land rather
than in the air or the water. When thus employed, it runs
with an outstretched neck and erected tail, and, like the wily
Corn Crake, is the very picture of haste and timidity. On fair
ground these birds run nearly as fast as a man. When hard
pushed they will betake themselves sometimes to the water,
remaining under for several minutes, and holding on closely to
the roots of grass or herbage with the head downwards, so as
to render themselves generally wholly invisible. When roused
at length to flight, they proceed almost with the velocity and in
the manner of a duck, flying low and with the neck stretched ;
but such is their aversion to take wing, and their fondness
for skulking, that the marshes in which hundreds of these
birds dwell may be crossed without one of them ever being
seen ; nor will they rise to a dog till they have led him into a
labyrinth and he is on the very point of seizing them.
The food of the Clapper Rail consists of various insects,
small univalve shell-fish, and crustacea (minute crabs, etc.).
Its flesh is dry, tastes sedgy, and is far inferior in flavor to
CLAPPER RAIL. 187
that of the Common Rail or Sora. Early in October these
birds retire to the South, and probably migrate in the twilight
or by the dawn of morning.
The Clapper Rail is abundant along the Atlantic coast north to
Long Island. It occurs occasionally on the Connecticut shores,
but is merely an accidental wanderer within the Massachusetts
boundaries, and but one example has been reported north of Bos-
ton Harbor,— captured near Portland, Maine, some years ago.
Its breeding range extends from Connecticut to the Gulf States,
and it is found in winter throughout the Southern States.
Note. — The Lovuis1ANA CLAPPER RAIL (RP. crepitans satu
ratus) was discovered by Mr. H. W. Henshaw and described in
1880. It is a smaller bird than the type, —length about thirteen
inches, —and is of brighter-colored plumage. The brown of the
upper parts is of a richer tint and is more deeply tinged with olive;
while the breast wears a richer shade of brown. The bird has
been found on the coast of Louisiana only.
SCOTT’s RAIL, as it was named by Mr. Sennett, the describer, or
FLORIDA CLAPPER RAIL, asit will be booked probably (2. scod¢iz),
was discovered in 1886. It is the darkest of the group, — very dark
brown or nearly black above, and lower parts brown. The bird
appears to be sedentary on the west coast of Florida, and has been
taken nowhere else.
KING RAIL.
RED-BREASTED RAIL. FRESHWATER MARSH HEN.
RALLUS ELEGANS.
CuHaR. Upper parts rich olive brown of varying shades, — sometimes
with a yellow tinge, — striped with black; crown dark brown; a line of
cinnamon over the eyes, and a line of dusky through the eyes ; wings brown,
of varying shades ; under parts deep cinnamon, darkest on the breast, fad-
ing to dull white on throat and belly; sides and flanks brown or dusky,
with broad stripes of white. Length 17 to rg inches.
Nest. Hid amid a tuft of rank grass in a fresh-water marsh; placed on
the ground, though sometimes fastened to the grass and weeds that sur-
round it; made of grass and weed stems.
Zegs. 6-12; ground color varies from pale buff to creamy white,
marked, sparingly, with reddish brown or purplish brown and lilac; size
variable, average about 1.70 X 1.20.
SORA, 189
Nuttall must have confounded the present species with the
Clapper Rail, for he makes no mention of the King Rail. Wilson
figured the bird, but gave no description of its plumage or habits,
and the first account of the species was given by Audubon in 1835.
The King Rail is not so widely dispersed, nor is it so abundant,
as most of its congeners; but some writers have been in error in
representing its distribution as exceedingly limited. It occurs reg-
ularly throughout the Southern and Middle States, and is plentiful
in Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ontario. In New England the
bird has been seen but rarely, though examples have been taken in
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine. I have examined in the
flesh one that was shot near St. John, N. B.
In habits our bird is very similar to the Clapper Rail, differing
chiefly in its preference for a marsh that is drained by a sluggish
stream of fresh water.
SORA.
CAROLINA RAIL. CAROLINA CRAKE, COMMON RAIL.
PORZANA CAROLINA.
Cuar. Above, olive brown varied black and gray; front of head,
stripe on crown, and line on throat, black; side of head and breast ashy
gray or slate ; sides of breast spotted with white; flanks barred slate and
white ; belly white. Bill short and stout. Length 8 to 9% inches.
Vest. In a wet meadow or reedy swamp, sometimes in a salt-water
marsh; a rude structure of loosely arranged grass weed stems and
rushes hid in a tussock of rank grass or coarse sedges.
£ggs. 6-14 (usually 8); dark buff or yellowish drab, often tinged with
olive, spotted with reddish brown and lilac; 1.20 X 0.90.
The Sora, or Common Rail, of America, which assemble in
such numbers on the reedy shores of the larger rivers in the
Middle and adjoining warmer States at the approach of au-
tumn, and which afford such abundant employ to the sports-
man at that season, like most of the tribe to which it belongs
is a bird of passage, wintering generally south of the limits of
the Union. These Rails begin to make their appearance in
the marshes of Georgia by the close of February; and on the
2d of May Wilson observed them in the low watery meadows
below Philadelphia. In the remote fur countries of the North
190 WADING BIRDS.
up to the 62d parallel they are common through the summer,
and were observed by Dr. Richardson to be particularly abun-
dant on the banks of the small lakes that skirt the Saskatche-
wan plains. In the vast reedy marshes, swamps, and lagoons
of these desolate regions the greater part of the species are no
doubt reared, as but few of them are ever known to breed in
the warmer parts of the continent; and the history of their
manners at the period of incubation is therefore still a blank.
The observations of persons not conversant with the nice dis-
tinctions necessary in natural history ought to be received
with caution, as they might easily confound the mere young of
the present and the preceding species as orie and the same.
The alleged nest, eggs, and young birds covered with a black
down mentioned by Wilson agree perfectly with the Virginian
Rail; but the length of the bill and any other discriminating
particulars are wholly omitted. We may conclude, therefore,
up to the present time that the actual young and nest of the
Soree are yet unknown, and that all which has been said on
this subject is but conjecture or a misapplication of facts
belonging to the preceding species.
Like the other migrating waders, the Rails, accompanied by
their swarming broods, bred in the North and West, begin to
show themselves on the reedy borders of the Delaware and
other large waters of the Middle States, whose still and sluggish
streams, spreading out over muddy flats, give birth to an abun-
dant crop of the seeds of the Wild Rice, now the favorite food
of the Rails and the Rice Birds. On first arriving from the labor
and privation incident to their migrations, they are lean, and
little valued as food ; but as their favorite natural harvest begins
to swell out and approach maturity, they rapidly fatten, and from
the middle of September to the same time in October they
are in excellent order for the table, and eagerly sought after
wherever a gun can be obtained and brought into operation.
Walking by the borders of these reedy rivers in ordinary
seasons, you hear in all directions the crowding Rails squeak-
ing like young puppies. If a stone be thrown in amongst them,
there is a general outcry through the reeds; a confused and
SORA. 191
reiterated "2uk ’hkuk 'kuk’k'k’h’k, resounds from the covered
marsh, and is again renewed by the timid throng on the dis-
charge of a gun or any other sudden noise within their hearing.
The Rails, however numerous, are scarcely visible, unless it be
at or near to high water ; for when the tide is down they have
the art so well to conceal themselves among the reeds that
you may walk past and even over them, where there are hun-
dreds, without seeing probably a single individual.
The flight of the Rails while confined among the Rice
Reeds is low, feeble, and fluttering, with the legs hanging down
as if the effort were unnatural and constrained, — which may, no
doubt, at times be produced by the extreme corpulency which
they attain in a favorable season for food; yet occasionally
they will rise to a considerable height, and cross considerable
streams without any reluctance or difficulty; so that however
short may be their wings, the muscles by which they are set in
motion are abundantly sufficient to provide them the means of
pursuing the deliberate stages of their migratory course. Wher-
ever the Zzania and its nutritious grain abounds, there the Rails
are generally seen. In the reedy lakes of Michigan as well as
the tide-water streams of the Atlantic these birds are found
congregated in quest of their favorite food. In Virginia they
are particularly abundant along the grassy banks of James
River within the bounds of tide-water, where they are often
taken in the night while perched among the reeds; being stu-
pefied by the glare of a fire carried in among them, they are
then easily approached by a boat, and rudely knocked on the
head with a paddle, — sometimes in such quantities that three
negroes in as many hours have been known to kill from twenty
to eighty dozen.
Fear seems to be a ruling passion among the whole tribe
of Rails and their kindred allies. With faculties for acting in
the day, timidity alone seems to have rendered them almost
nocturnal in their actions; their sole address and cunning
seems entirely employed in finding out means of concealment.
This is particularly the case when wounded; they then swim
out and dive with so much caution as seldom to be seen again
192 WADING BIRDS.
above water. They even cling with their feet to the reeds be-
neath that element, where they would sooner endure suffoca-
tion than expose themselves with any chance of being seen;
they often also skulk on ordinary occasions under the floating
reeds, with nothing more than the bill above water. At other
times when wounded they will dive, and rise under the gun-
wale of the sportsman’s boat, and secreting themselves there,
have the cunning to go round as the vessel moves until, given
up as lost, they find an opportunity of completing their escape.
According to the observations of Mr. Ord, the females
more particularly are sometimes so affected by fear or some
other passion as to fall into sudden fits and appear stretched
out as lifeless, recovering after a while the use of their faculties,
and falling again into syncope on merely presenting the finger
in a threatening attitude. At such times and during their ob-
stinate divings they often fall victims, no doubt, to their enemies
in the watery element, as they are sometimes seized by eels
and other voracious fish, who lie in wait for them ; so that the
very excess of their fear and caution hurries them into addi-
tional dangers, and frustrates the intention of this instinct for
preservation. The swooning to which they appear subject is
not uncommon with some small and delicate irritable birds,
and Canaries are often liable to these death-like spasms, into
which they also fall at the instigation of some immaterial or
trifling excitement of a particular kind.
During the greater part of the months of September and
October, the market of Philadelphia is abundantly supplied with
this highly esteemed game, and they are usually sold at from fifty
cents to a dollar the dozen. But soon after the first frosts of
October or towards the close of that month, they all move off
to the South. In Virginia they usually remain until the first
week in November. In the vicinity of Cambridge (Mass.), a
few, as a rarity, only are now and then seen in the course of
the autumn in the Zizania patches which border the outlet of
Fresh Pond ; but none are either known or suspected to breed
in any part of this State, where they are, as far as I can learn,
everywhere uncommon.
SORA. 193
The usual method of shooting Rail on the Delaware, accord-
ing to Wilson, is as follows. The sportsman proceeds to the
scene of action in a batteau with an experienced boatman, who
propels the boat with a pole. About two hours before high
water they enter the reeds, the sportsman taking his place in
the bow ready for action, while the boatman on the stern seat
pushes the craft steadily through the reeds. The Rails gene-
rally spring singly as the boat advances, and at a short distance
ahead are instantly shot down, while the boatman, keeping his
eye on the spot where the bird fell, directs the vessel forward,
and picks up the game as the gunner is loading. In this man-
ner the boat continues through and over the wild-rice marsh,
the birds flushing and falling, the gunner loading and firing,
while the helmsman is pushing and picking up the game, —
which sport continues till an hour or two after high water,
when its shallowness and the strength and weight of the float-
ing reeds, as also the unwillingness of the game to spring as
the tide decreases, oblige them to return. Several boats are
sometimes within a short distance of each other, and a per-
petual cracking of musketry prevails along the whole reedy
shores of the river. In these excursions it is not uncommon
for an active and expert marksman to kill ten or twelve dozen
in the serving of a single tide.
We now know that the Sora breeds abundantly in Wisconsin
and the northern portions of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, as well as
in the more Eastern States. It is probable that the southern limit
of its breeding area is in the vicinity of latitude 42°, while its
northern range does not extend beyond the 62d parallel. The birds
winter in the West Indies and northern South America.
VOL. I. — 13
YELLOW RAIL.
CRAKE.
PORZANA NOVEBORACENSIS.
CuHarR. Above, brownish buff, varied with black and white ; tail black;
below, buff, pale on the belly, deepest on the breast; flanks dusky, barred
with dull white; under tail-coverts rufous. Length 6 to 7% inches.
Vest. Ina marsh or reedy margin of a stream or pond; a loosely con-
structed affair of grass and weed stems, hid in a bunch of sedges or reeds.
Eges. 5-9 (usually about 6); deep buff or creamy, spotted at the
larger end with reddish brown; 1 10 X 0.85.
The Yellow-breasted Rail, though found sparingly in many
parts of the Union and in Canada, is everywhere rare. It has
been met with, apparently, as a mere straggler in the vicinity of
New York and Philadelphia in the depth of winter, and has
likewise been seen in Missouri, probably on its spring passage
towards the North. Where it winters, whether in the Southern
States or in still milder climes, is yet unknown.
Mr. Hutchins says, “This elegant bird is an inhabitant of
the marshes” on the coast of Hudson Bay, near the mouth of
Severn River, “from the middle of May to the end of Sep-
tember. It never flies above sixty yards at a time, but runs
with great rapidity among the long grass near the shores. In
the morning and evening it utters a note which resembles the
YELLOW RAIL. 195
striking of a flint and steel; at other times it makes a shriek-
ing noise.” It is evident, therefore, that the Yellow-breasted
Rail is principally a Northern species, which migrates mostly
through the western interior of the continent, and is therefore
very rare in the Atlantic States.
Like all the other species, the present inhabits swamps,
marshes, and the reedy margins of ditches and lakes. In the
vicinity of West Cambridge, and throughout the vast extent of
wet marsh-land which stretches over the face of the country,
and is but rarely visited by man, among the Virginia Rails
and a few stragglers of the Sora we occasionally meet with
this small and remarkable species. The first individual ever
brought to me, late in autumn, was surprised, while feeding on
insects or seeds, by the margin of a small pool overgrown with
the leaves of the water-lily (Mympheza odorata). Without
attempting either to fly or swim, it darted nimbly over the
floating leaves, and would have readily escaped, but for the
arrest of the fatal gun, which baffled its cunning and precau-
tion. When wounded, this bird also swims and dives with
great address.
On the 6th of October, 1831, having spent the night in a
lodge on the borders of Fresh Pond, employed for decoying
and shooting ducks, I heard about sunrise the Yellow-breasted
Rails begin to stir among the reeds (Arundo phragmitis) that
thickly skirt this retired border of the lake, and in which,
among a host of various kinds of Blackbirds, they had for some
time roosted every night. As soon as awake, they called out
in an abrupt and cackling cry, ’£reh, ’kréh, ’kréh, 'hréh, kith
‘Rk’ kh, which note, apparently from the young, was answered by
the parent (probably the hen), in a lower soothing tone. The
whole of these uncouth and guttural notes have no bad resem-
blance to the croaking of the tree-frog, as to sound. This call
and answer, uttered every morning, is thus kept up for several
minutes in various tones, till the whole family, separated for
the night, have met and satisfactorily recognized each other.
These are, no doubt, migrating broods who have arrived from
the North about the time stated for their departure by Mr.
196 WADING BIRDS.
Hutchins. By the first week in November their cackling
ceases ; and as they seem to migrate hither without delay, and
with great expedition for a bird with such short wings, it is
probable they proceed at once to the swamps of the Southern
States.
This species is not as abundant as either the Virginia Rail or the
Sora, but it is not so rare as many writers have supposed. It is
such a skulker and hides so quickly that it generally escapes obser-
vation even when close at hand. The bird is a summer resident of
New England and the Maritime Provinces, and has been taken in
the Hudson Bay district. It is quite common in Ohio, and has
been found nesting in Illinois. It winters in the Southern States.
BLACK RAIL.
PORZANA JAMAICENSIS.
CuHar. Head, neck, and lower parts dark slate or dusky; back rich
brown; wings and tail brownish black, marked with white; belly and
flanks barred with white. Length about 5 inches.
Nest. In a wet meadow or reedy marsh, hid amid the rank grass; a
compactly made, deep cup of grass and weed stems.
£egs. 8-10; dull white or creamy, marked all over with fine spots of
reddish brown; 1.00 X 0.80.
This, the smallest of our Rails, was not mentioned by Nuttall,
though it had been discovered long before his time, and was given
by Audubon. It has always been considered a rare bird, being
seldom found on the Atlantic coast, and only a few examples being
seen north of New Jersey —in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
In the western division of this Eastern Province it is more common,
and goes somewhat farther north; a number of nests having been
taken in northern Illinois. In habits this species does not differ
materially from its congeners.
NoTE.— The SPoTTeD CRAKE: (Porzana pforzana), an Old
World species, occasionally visits Greenland. :
The Corn CRAKE, or LAND RAIL (Crex crex), also an Old World
species, occurs regularly in Greenland, and has been taken on Long
Island and Bermuda.
AMERICAN COOT.
COOT. MUD HEN. MARSH HEN. MEADOW HEN. MOOR HEN.
CROW DUCK.
FULICA AMERICANA.
Cuar. General plumage dark slate, shading to dull black on the head,
and to gray on the belly ; edge of the wings and tips of the seccndaries
white ; frontal shield and spots on the bill dark brown; feet greenish,
toes with conspicuous lobes or “flaps.” Length from 13 to 16 inches.
The “frontal shield” is a horny plate which extends from the Lill over
the forehead. It is one distinguishing character of the Coots and
Gallinules.
Vest. Amid the reeds or rank grass on the margin of a secluded pond
or sluggish stream, sometimes on a knoll near the water, attached to the
reeds, often floating on the water; a bulky affair of loosely arranged reeds
or sedge stems, scantily lined with grass, and placed on a high platform.
This platform sometimes rests on the tops of the surrounding reeds, which
are bent down to receive it.
Eggs. 6-15 (usually about 10); pale buff, profusely spotted with dark
brown and lilac; size very variable, average about 1.90 X 1.40.
198 WADING BIRDS.
The Coot of America, so very similar to that of Europe,
according to the season is found in almost every part of the
continent, from the grassy lakes that skirt the Saskatchewan
plains, in the 55th parallel, to the reedy lagoons of East Florida
and the marshes of Jamaica. To the west, the species seems
to inhabit the waters of the Columbia, in the remote Territory
of Oregon. Mr. Say observed it also in the lower part of Mis-
souri, and in Long’s Expedition it was seen in Lake Winnipeg
on the 7th of June. Mr. Swainson has also received speci-
mens from the distant tableland of Mexico. We may there-
fore conclude almost with certainty that the Coot of America,
indifferent to climate, dwells and breeds in every part of the
North American continent, over a range of probably more than
fifty degrees of latitude! Nocturnal in their habits, and dis-
persing themselves far and wide over every watery solitude,
these birds seem in many places to have disappeared for the
season, until they in large numbers, swelled by their prolific
broods, and impelled at the approach of winter to migrate for
food, now begin to show themselves in the lakes, pools, and
estuaries in the vicinity of the sea, from which they gradually
recede towards the South as the severity of the season compels
them, being unable to subsist amidst the ice. In this way
they proceed, accumulating in numbers as they advance, so
that in the inundated and marshy tracts of Florida, particularly
along the banks of the St. Juan, they are seen in winter, con-
gregated in vast and noisy flocks. In the milder latitudes,
their whole migrations will be limited to a traverse from the
interior to the vicinity of the sea, while those which visit the
wilderness of Upper Canada, where they are abundant in the
summer, will probably migrate from twenty-five to thirty
degrees every spring and autumn.
The Coots arrive in Pennsylvania about the beginning of
October. They appear in Fresh Pond, Cambridge, about the
first week in September. A pair took up their residence in
this small lake about the 15th of April; and in June they are
occasionally seen accompanied by their young. The nest, eggs,
and manners during the period of reproduction are yet
AMERICAN COOT, 199
unknown. ‘Timorous and defenceless, they seek out the re-
motest solitudes to breed, where, amidst impassable bogs and
pools, the few individuals which dwell in the same vicinity are
readily overlooked and with difficulty discovered, from the
pertinacity of the older birds in hiding themselves wholly by
day. It is therefore only when the affections and necessities
of the species increase that they are urged to make more visi-
ble exertions, and throw aside, for a time, the characteristic
indolence of their furtive nature. We now see them abroad,
accompanied by their more active and incautious offspring,
night and morning, without exhibiting much timidity, the young
sporting and feeding with careless confidence in their fickle
element. They are at this time easily approached. and shot,
as they do not appear to dive with the same promptness as the
European species.
The old birds, ever watchful and solicitous for their brood,
with which they still appear to associate, when alarmed utter
at times a sort of hoarse ’£7w, which serves as a signal either
to dive or swim away. At this season of the year Mr. N.
Wyeth informs me that he has heard the Coot repeatedly
utter a whizzing sound, which he can only compare to the
plunge of large shot when fired into water. It might possibly
be the small and bouncing leaps with which the associated
young of the common species amuse themselves at almost all
hours of the day. In East Florida, where they appear, ac-
cording to Bartram, to assemble and breed in great numbers,
they are very chattering and noisy, and may be heard calling
on each other almost night and day. With us they are, how-
ever, very taciturn, though tame, and with many other birds
appear to have no voice but for the exciting period of the
nuptial season. .
The Coots of Europe have many enemies in the predacious
birds which surround them, particularly the Moor Buzzard,
which not only destroys the young, but sucks the eggs to such
an extent that notwithstanding their great prolificacy, they lay-
ing from twelve to eighteen eggs, the numbers are so thinned
by depredation that not above one tenth escape the talons of
200 WADING BIRDS.
rapacious species. Indeed, it is only the second hatch, of
about eight eggs, more securely concealed among the flags on
the margins of pools, that ever survive to renew the species,
The nest, secreted in this manner among the rank herbage, is
placed on the surface of the water, but raised above it by piling
together a quantity of coarse materials, in order to keep the
eggs dry. In this buoyant state a sudden gale of wind has
been known to draw them from their slender moorings, and
nests have thus been seen floating on the water, with the birds
still sitting upon them, as in the act of navigating over the pool
on which they had resided. The female is said to sit twenty-
two or twenty-three days; the young, now covered with a
black down, quit the nest as soon as they are hatched, and are
then cherished under the wings of the mother, and sleep around
her beneath the reeds; she also leads them to the water, in
which they swim and dive from the moment of their liberation
from the shell.
When closely pursued in the water, the Coot sometimes
makes for the shore, and from the compressed form of its body,
though so awkward in its gait, can make considerable progress
through the grass and reeds. When driven to take wing on
the water, it rises low and with reluctance, fluttering along the
surface with both the wings and feet pattering over it, for which
reason, according to Lawson, in his “‘ History of Carolina,” they
had in that country received the name of Flusterers.
The food of the American Coot, like that of the other species,
is chiefly vegetable ; it lives also upon small fluviatile shells
and aquatic insects, to all which it adds gravel and sand, in
the manner of common fowls. A specimen which I examined
on the 19th of September had the stomach, very capacious
and muscular, filled with tops of the water milfoil (AZyriophyl-
lum verticillatum), and a few seeds or nuts of a small species
of bur-reed (Sparganium). From the contents of the intes-
tines, which were enormous, aquatic vegetables appeared now
to be their principal food.
In the month of November the Coot leaves the Northern
and Middle States, and retires by night, according to its usual
PURPLE GALLINULE, 201
habits, to pass the winter in the warmer parts of the Union,
and probably extends its journeys along all the shores of the
Mexican Gulf.
The Coot is still a common bird throughout the temperate por-
tions of North America, and examples have been taken in Green-
land and Alaska, It winters in the Southern States and southward
through the West Indies and Central America.
Note.— The European Coot (Fulica atra) has been taken in
Greenland.
PURPLE GALLINULE.
IONORNIS MARTINICA.
Cuar. Back bright olive; wings of deeper green and shaded with
‘blue; head, neck, and breast rich bluish purple; belly darker; frontal
shield blue; bill red, tipped with yellow; legs yellow. Length about
13% inches.
West. In a marsh; fastened to rank grass or reeds, and hidden by
the stems to which it is attached,— made of dried and fresh grass and
reeds loosely arranged.
£ggs. 7-12 (usually about 9); pale buff or creamy, spotted chiefly
around the larger end with reddish brown and lavender; 1.70 X 1.15,
This very splendid but incongruous species of Gallinule is
in the United States a bird of passage, wintering in tropical
America, and passing the summer, or breeding-season, in the
marshes of Florida and the contiguous parts of the State of
Georgia, where it arrives in the latter part of April, retiring
south with its brood in the course of the autumn, and probably
wintering, according to its habits, in the swampy maritime dis-
tricts along the coast of the Mexican Gulf. An instance is
given by Mr. Ord of one of these birds being driven out to
sea and taking shelter on board of a vessel bound from New
Orleans to Philadelphia, while in the Gulf. This happened on
the 24th of May, and therefore could only have been a bewil-
dered straggler accidentally carried out to sea without any in-
tention of migrating; nor is it probable that a bird of such
202 WADING BIRDS.
short wings as those which characterize the genus would make
the attempt to travel any considerable distance over sea while
a route by land equally favorable for the purpose offered.
Little reliance, therefore, is to be placed upon these accidents
as proving the maritime migratory habits of birds. Several
hundred miles from land, towards the close of last June (1833),
in the latitude of the Capes of Virginia, the vessel in which I
was sailing for the port of New York was visited by two or
three unfortunate Swallows, who, overcome by hunger and
fatigue, alighted for a while on the rigging of our ship,
whence they, in all probability, proceeded farther out to sea
and perished. At this season of the year they could not be
migrating, but had wandered out upon the barren bosom of
the deceiving ocean, and would, in consequence of exhaustion
and famine, soon after fall a prey to the remorseless deep.
The Martinico Gallinule while in the Southern States fre-
quents the rice-fields, rivulets, and fresh-water pools in com-
pany with the more common Florida species. It is a vigorous
and active bird, bites hard when irritated, runs with agility, and
has the faculty, like the Sultanas, of holding on objects very
firmly with its toes, which are extremely long, and spread to a
great extent. When walking, it jerks its tail like a common
Gallinule. In its native marshes it is very shy and vigilant ;
and continually eluding pursuit, can be flushed only with the
aid of a dog.
This richly apparelled and beautiful bird is found regularly and
is quite common in all the Southern and Gulf States, and stragglers
are frequently seen northward to New England and westward to
Wisconsin. The only examples reported from Canada have been
taken in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. These birds do not
leave the United States in winter, as Nuttall supposed; they are
found in the South throughout the year.
They are called “ Sultanas ” in Jamaica, where Mr. Gosse found
them quite common; and this writer states that those he saw were
extremely indifferent to his approach, allowing him to walk to
within a few feet of where they were feeding, without manifesting
any fear.
Audubon states that after the brood is hatched the family retires
FLORIDA GALLINULE. 203
from the vicinity of the pools and streams to the interior of the
savannas ; but towards autumn they return again to the margins, and
at this later season they became shy and more vigilant.
These birds partake of a variety of food, their favorite diet being
a mixture of water-snails and plantains.
FLORIDA GALLINULE.
COMMON GALLINULE. RED-BILLED MUD HEN. WATER HEN.
GALLINULA GALEATA.
Cuar. Uniform grayish black, the back tinged with olive brown, the
belly paler than the breast; flanks striped with white; bill and frontal
shield bright red, the bill tipped with yellow; legs greenish. Length
about 13% inches.
Nest. In aswamp or marsh, —a bulky and clumsily arranged affair of
reeds or flags scantily lined with coarse grass. The nest is sometimes
placed on a platform made by bending down the tops of the surrounding
flags or rushes, or it is fastened to the stems of the flags or to the
branches of a bush. Occasionally a nest is found suspended over the
water upon which it floats as the tide rises, but usually the chosen situa-
tion is on a dry knoll.
£ggs. 7-13; ground color varies from brownish buff to creamy, spotted
with dark brown; size variable, average about 1.85 X 1.25.
This species of Gallinule, so closely related to that of Europe,
is common in Florida, in the Antilles, in Jamaica, Guadaloupe,
and the isle of Aves, where it has to dispense with the use
of fresh water. It is seen frequenting pools, lagoons, and
streams, and extends over a great portion of the continent of
South America. In the Middle and Northern States of the
Union it appears to be quite accidental, though as a straggler
it has been seen and shot as farnorth as Albany, in the State
of New York. Its range to the north is therefore much more
limited than its European analogue. Its voice is uncouth, but
sonorous, and its cry or call resembles ’£a, ’ka, *ka/ Mr.
Audubon met with this species in great numbers in Florida
towards the source of the St. John’s in the month of March.
This species is unknown in Canada or the northern parts of
America.
204 WADING BIRDS.
Either this bird has increased the limit of its range since Nuttall
stalked our marshes, or the modern bird-hunter is provided with in-
creased power of observation, keener vision, and more accurate
perception, for recent reports concerning the distribution of the
Gallinule differ considerably from Nuttall’s account.
It is true the Florida Gallinule is at home in the tropical por-
tions of the continent, but it occurs regularly and in numbers
throughout the warm temperate area north to New England and
Canada, and west to the Mississippi valley. It is quite common
on Cape Cod, and nests have been found near Fresh Pond, Cam-
bridge, and in Vermont.
A few stragglers only have visited the Maritime Provinces; but
the bird breeds in numbers in Ontario, and is not uncommon around
Ottawa and Montreal. In Illinois and Wisconsin it is quite common.
But it is a shy and retiring bird, leaving its haunts amid the rank
marsh-grass and the rushes only when impelled by the migratory
instinct, and then the bird steals off under cover of the darkness.
In an interesting contribution to “The Auk,” Mr. Brewster
tells us that the movements of this Gallinule when walking or swim-
ming is peculiarly graceful, but when on the wing its appearance is
ludicrously awkward.
The notes of the bird are numerous and of great variety of tone
and compass, varying from a harsh scream to a low hen-like cluck.
“ Speaking generally,” writes Mr. Brewster, “ the notes were all loud,
harsh, and discordant, and nearly all curiously hen-like.” He adds,
“1 certainly know of no other bird which utters so many different
sounds.” Some of the notes are like a drawling keé-ar-r, kreé-ar-r 5
or more rapidly uttered they produce a sound like £r-r-v-r-7, and
are varied with kruc-kruc, or alow kloc-kloc. At times a note like
ticket-ticket-ticket-ticket is heard, and again a single abrupt explosive
kup like the cry of a startled frog.
RED PHALAROPE.
GRAY PHALAROPE. SEA GOOSE. WHALE BIRD.
CRYMOPHILUS FULICARIUS.
Cuar. Female in summer: above, black, the feathers of the neck and
back with a rufous or buff margin; wings gray, tipped with white ; cheeks
white ; bill orange ; under parts reddish chestnut ; legs and feet yellow ; toes
lobed. Male: duller, white on cheek less defined, and head streaked
with rufous or buff. In winter the rufous tints disappear and the plumage
of the upper parts becomes gray and the under parts white, while the bill
turns black. Length about 8 inches.
Nest. On a knoll in the spongy margin of a pond or saline pool, —a
slight depression in the peat or moss, scantily lined with grass, moss, or
leaves.
£ggs. 3-4; olive buff or sea green, spotted with dark brown and pur-
plish brown; 1.25 X 0.90.
The Flat-Billed or Red Phalarope inhabits the whole Arctic
Circle during summer, where, in the security of solitude, it
passes the important period of reproduction. It is observed
206 WADING BIRDS.
in the north and east of Europe, in abundance in Siberia,
upon the banks of lakes and rivers, and it extends its vernal
migrations to the borders of the Caspian. These birds abound
in the hyperboreal regions of America, breeding on the North
Georgian Islands and on the remote and wintry coasts of Mel-
ville Peninsula. The late enterprising and scientific northern
navigators, on the roth of June, in the latitude of 68 degrees,
saw a company of these daring little voyagers out at sea, four
miles from land, swimming at their ease amidst mountains of
ice. They are seen also by mariners between Asia and Amer-
ica. According to Mr. Bullock, Red Phalaropes are found
common in the marshes of Sunda and Westra, the most north-
erly of the Orkney Isles, where they pass the breeding-season,
and are there so tame, and so little alarmed by the destructive
arts of man, as to suffer the report of a gun without fear, so
that Mr. Bullock killed as many as nine of them without mov-
ing from the spot where he made the first discharge. | When
swimming in pools, this bird is seen continually dipping its
bill into the water, as if feeding on some minute insects, and
while thus engaged it will often allow of a very near approach.
When disturbed these birds fly out a short distance only, like
the Dunlins. Sometimes, though rarely, they are seen to
approach the shore or the land in quest of food; but their
proper element is the water, and more particularly that of the
sea or saline pools.
The Flat-Billed Phalarope breeds around Hudson Bay in
the month of June, soon after its arrival from its tropical
winter quarters; for this purpose, it selects some dry and
grassy spot, wherein it lays about four eggs of an oil-green
color, crowded with irregular spots of dark umber-brown, which
become confluent towards the obtuse end. The young take to
wing in July or early in August, and they leave the inclement
shores of their nativity in the month of September. At this
period, as well as in the spring, a few stragglers visit the United
States, where individuals have been occasionally shot in the
vicinity of Philadelphia and Boston. These and other species
are also seen in the autumn about Vera Cruz, where they are
NORTHERN PHALAROPE. 207
sold with other game in the market. Their visits in England
and Germany are equally rare as in the United States, and
individuals have been known sometimes to stray into Switzer-
land, having been shot on the Lake of Geneva.
These interesting birds breed in the high Arctic regions and win-
ter south to the shores of the Middle States. They are usually
found on the sea or along the coast; but a number have been seen
on the Great Lakes, and occasional examples have wandered to the
Ohio valley.
Explorers have met with large numbers of these birds on the
borders of the Arctic Ocean, and it is probable that few of them
breed south of latitude 65°. They are exceedingly abundant in the
Bay of Fundy during the migrations, and Mr. Boardman thinks a
few pairs have nested in that vicinity. The nests were not dis-
covered, but young birds were seen.
Among some peculiarities of the habits of this bird is the female’s
preference for conducting the courtship, which she carries on in a
vigorous fashion of her own. After capturing her lord,—or, to
be more exact, subduing her slave, —the female takes her ease,
while the male attends to the domestic affairs and hatches the eggs.
The female is much the handsomer of the two, and is also larger.
NORTHERN PHALAROPE.
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. SEA GOOSE.
PHALAROPUS LOBATUS.
CHAR. Above, dark ash, paler on the head and rump, the back
striped with rufous or buff; wings dusky with a white bar; tail brownish
gray; chin white; breast and sides of neck chestnut ; beneath, white;
bill black, slender, and tapering; legs greenish. Length about 7% inches.
In winter the prevailing color is grayish, the forehead and crown
mostly white, and a line of dusky through the eyes.
The male is smaller than the female and of duller plumage, the
rufous tint less conspicuous, and the colors less defined.
West. In a swamp or bog on the margin of a pool, —a slight depression
in the peat scantily lined, and concealed amid a tuft of grass.
Eges. 3-4; pale olive buff or sea-green, thickly covered by spots of
dark brown; average size about 1.20 X 0.80.
The geographical range of the Hyperborean Phalarope, as
its name implies, is nearly, if not quite, similar with that of the
208 ‘ WADING BIRDS.
preceding species. In summer it dwells and breeds gener-
ally within the Arctic Circle in both continents. It penetrates
into Greenland, Iceland, and Spitzbergen, is abundant in the
north of Scotland, in the Orkneys and Hebrides, is equally
prevalent in Lapland, on the northern coasts of Siberia,
and between Asia and America, a transient visitor on the
shores of the Baltic, and seen only accidentally in Germany
and Holland. It sometimes, though very rarely, penetrates in-
land as far as the lakes of Switzerland, and in its natal regions
visits lakes of fresh as well as salt water. At the period of their
migrations, in May and August, these birds betake themselves
to the open sea, particularly in autumn, and are then gregarious,
assembling in flocks; at other times they are seen in pairs,
and, like the preceding, have a constant habit of dipping the
bill into the water, as if in the act of collecting the minute mol-
lusca which may be floating in it. They are also often seen on
the wing, and are said by Willoughby to utter a shrill, clamorous
cry, or twitter, resembling that of the Greater Tern.
In Arctic America, where this Phalarope resides in the mild
season, it is seen to seek out shady pools, in which it swims
with peculiar ease and elegance, its attitudes much resembling
those of the Common Teal.
These birds arrive to breed around Hudson Bay about the
beginning of June, and old and young are seen to frequent the
sea-coast previous to their departure, which takes place often
soon after the middle of August, on the 16th or 17th of
which they are occasionally killed in different parts of Massa-
chusetts Bay and near Newport in Rhode Island. They like-
wise probably pay a transient visit to the coast of New Jersey,
as they do also, at times, to Long Island, and finally repair
to the mild shores of the Mexican Gulf, being seen in the
markets of Mexico and Vera Cruz. Migrating probably by
sea and outside of the land, they but rarely visit the coast in
any part of the United States. Straggling families of the old
and young are met with in the vicinity of Boston nearly every
year about the beginning of May and the middle of August,
commonly in salt-water pools near the sea, and, as usual, they
NORTHERN PHALAROPE, 209
are seen perpetually dipping their bills into the water, or with
a reclined neck swimming and turning about in their favorite
element, with all the ease and grace of a diminutive swan. In
Iceland Hyperborean Phalaropes arrive about the middle of
May ; and waiting the complete thawing of the ice, they are
seen, for a time, assembled in flocks out at sea several miles
from the shore. This gregarious association breaks up early in
June, when seceding pairs retire to breed by the mountain
ponds. They are very faithful to their mates and jealous of
intrusion from strangers of the same species, on which occa-
sions the males fight with obstinacy, running to and fro upon
the water at the time even when the females are engaged in
incubation. When the young are exposed to any danger, the
parents are heard to express their alarm by a repeated ’p77p,
‘rip. At the commencement of August, as in the glacial
regions of America, the whole retire to the open sea previous
to their migration to the South, and by the end of that month
they are no longer to be found in that island.
The food of this species is said to be chiefly worms, winged
insects, particularly diptera, and such other kinds as frequent
the surface of the water. In specimens which I have exam-
ined, the stomachs contained some small gravel and the
remains of aquatic coleopterous insects, as the different kinds
of small water-beetles. These individuals, which were young
birds beginning to moult, had therefore varied their fare by a
visit to some fresh-water pool or lake, and like their kindred
Sandpipers, had landed on the shore in quest of gravel. They
were likewise fat and very finely flavored. The old birds,
hunted as food by the Greenlanders, are said, however, to be
oily and unpalatable, which may arise probably from the
nature of the fare on which they subsist in high latitudes, — if
the birds alluded to are not, in fact, the small Petrels instead
of Phalaropes; though the inhabitants using the skins medici-
nally, to wipe their rheumy and diseased eyes, seems to decide
pretty nearly in favor of the present bird.
In the spring of 1832, about the beginning of May, so dense
a flock was seen on the margin of Chelsea Beach, in this
VOL, 1. — 14
210 WADING BIRDS.
vicinity, that nine or ten individuals were killed out of it at a.
single shot; these were nearly all old birds, and on being
eaten proved quite palatable. Mr. Audubon informs me that
in the month of May last (1833), he met with flocks of these
Phalaropes about four miles out at sea off the Magdalen
Islands, where they are known to the fishermen by the name of
“Sea Geese,” appearing more or less every year. At this time
they were in very dense flocks of about one hundred together,
so close as nearly or wholly to touch each other. On being
approached they were very shy and wild, and as they rose to
fly, in the manner of the Sandpipers, uttered a faint, clear cry
of ’twee "tweet. Like Tringas, too, they alight on the shore or
the ground, and run with agility. They also at times settle on
the driftweed and ci in order to glean up any insects which
may occur. They squat on the ground like Snipes.
It is remarkable enough that all these flocks consisted of
birds of both sexes assembling to breed and in imperfect
plumage. In none were the sides and front of the neck
wholly red. They had a broad patch of red below the ears,
not extending in front, and the blackish gray feathers of the
back and scapulars were edged, in the latter, nearly round
with pale dull rufous. The females were paler in all parts,
the scapulars merely edged with whitish rufous. The drighzest
of these birds answers to Temminck’s description of the
female of the species, while Bonaparte asserts that the fe-
males are always much drighter or redder than the males in
their most complete plumage. We have, therefore, the follow-
ing distinct stages of appearance in this species: The young of
the year, the young of the second year, differing in the
appearance of the sexes; the adults of both sexes (probably
not then wholly alike) ; and finally the gray Livery of winter,
distributed according to the variations in the preceding plumage.
We shall then have, at this rate, six or seven different states of
plumage to this single species of Phalarope.
This species breeds in the Far North, and is met with off our
coasts as the flocks journey to and from their winter quarters in
the tropics.
WILSON’S PHALAROPE, 211
I have seen the birds only as they have loitered awhile in the
Bay of Fundy; but they gave me no grounds for thinking them the
wild and shy things Audubon tells about. I thought them excep-
tionally heedless of my presence, — confiding, in fact, —for I fre-
quently ran into a flock that barely made way for my boat. Mr.
William Jefferies makes a similar report of the flocks he saw off
Swampscott in August, 1890.
The females of this species are rather more decorous than are
some of their cousins, though they do not believe in living alone if
a bit of management will secure a partner, but they are help-
mates, — they share in the wearisome task of incubation and in
caring for the youngsters ; and their consideration and their con-
stancy, which is unimpeachable, is rewarded by a chivalrous
devotion.
WILSON’S PHALAROPE.
SEA GOOSE,
PHALAROPUS TRICOLOR.
Cuar. Summer: above, dark ashy gray, paler on the crown and
rump ; throat, cheeks, and line over the eyes white; sides of the neck
rich chestnut; wings brownish gray, outer feathers (primaries) dusky ;
beneath, white, the breast tinged with pale chestnut; bill long, slender,
and acute, and of black color. Length 9% inches.
In winter the plumage is ashy gray and lacks the rufous tints.
The female is larger and more highly colored and much more beautiful
than the male.
Nest. In a marsh or wet meadow adjacent to a lake or pond, —a slight
depression scattered in the soil amid a tuft of grass, and sparsely lined
with grass.
Eggs. 3-4; grayish buff or dark buff, thickly spotted with brown of
several shades ; 1.30 X 0.90.
This elegant Phalarope, first noticed by Wilson in a museum
at Albany, was afterwards dedicated to his name and memory
when he was no longer conscious of the honor. Hurried to the
tomb from amidst his unfinished and ill-requited labors, his
favorite Orpheus and Wood Thrush pour out their melody in
vain. The Blue Bird, which hastens to inform us of the return
of spring and of the approach of flowers, delights no longer
the favorite of their song. Like his own beautiful and strange
212 WADING BIRDS.
bird, now before us, his transient visit, which delighted us, has
ended; but his migration, no longer to be postponed, has
exceeded the bounds of the earth, and spring and autumn,
with their wandering hosts of flitting birds, may still return,
while he, translated to the Elysian groves, will only be remem-
bered in the thrill of the plaintive nightingale.
Wilson’s Phalarope, unlike the preceding, has no predilec-
tion for the ultimate range of the Arctic Circle, confining its
residence, consequently, to the shores of America; it is un-
known in summer beyond the 55th parallel, passing the period
of reproduction on the plains of the Saskatchewan, being also
a stranger to the coasts of Hudson Bay. ‘Taking the interior
of the continent for its abode, it is not uncommon on the
borders of lakes in the vicinity of the city of Mexico.
From the structure of its legs and feet this remarkable
species, so distinct from the others, appears more suited for a
wading or walking than an eminent swimming bird. In the
United States it can only be considered as a straggler, of which
a specimen has been obtained near Philadelphia in May, and
another in the State of New York. As yet we have never met
with it in this vicinity.
The “Swimming Sandpiper,” as this bird has been called, —a
name that describes it precisely, — is restricted chiefly to the inte-
rior, though stragglers have been taken on the shores of New Eng-
land and the Provinces. It is now known to breed abundantly in
Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Dakota, and northward to the
Saskatchewan valley. In winter the flocks range to Brazil and
Patagonia.
In habits the bird more closely resembles the Sandpipers than
does its congeners, seldom swimming except when wounded, and
wading knee-deep to glean its food. The female, however, with
true Phalaropian scorn for the proprieties, manages her courtship,
— and manages too her reluctant lover, — and after a brief — very
brief — honeymoon, she resigns charge of domestic arrangements
to her henpecked partner, who meekly sits on the eggs until they
are hatched.
COMMON TERN.
WILSON’S TERN. SEA SWALLOW. SUMMER GULL. MACKEREL
GULL.
STERNA HIRUNDO.
CuHar. Mantle deep pearl gray; crown and nape black; rump and
tail white; beneath, pale gray, shading to white on the throat; bill and
legs orange red. Tail deeply forked. Length 13 to 16 inches.
In winter the under parts are pure white, and the crown is mottled
with white.
The young birds have bars of brown on the mantle, and the crown is
of a brownish tinge; also, the bill and legs bear a yellow tinge in sum-
mer, and turn to nearly black in winter.
Nest. On the sand or amid shingle or short herbage near water, —
a slight depression, sometimes sparsely lined with grass or weeds; occa-
sionally a rather bulky nest is made of straw or sea-weed.
Lggs. 2-5 (usually 3); the ground color varies, olive and buff tints
prevailing; the marking also varies, but is always profuse and of several
shades of brown ; the size averages about 1.60 X 1.15.
The Common Tern is an inhabitant of both continents,
being met with on the coasts of most parts of Europe as far
214 SWIMMERS,
north as the ever-inclement shores of Greenland and Spitz-
bergen ; it is also found on the Arctic coasts of Siberia and
Kamtschatka. In the winter it migrates to the Mediterranean,
Madeira, and the Canary Islands. In America it breeds along
all the coasts of the Northern and Middle States, and pene-
trates north into the fur countries up to the 57th parallel of
latitude. It also breeds on the sand-bars of the Great Western
Lakes, being frequent in those of Erie, Huron, and Superior.
In short, no bird is more common along the sea-coasts and
lakes of the whole northern hemisphere, within the limits of
cool or moderate temperature.
These Terns arrive on the coast of New Jersey about the
middle of April, and soon after they are seen on the shores
of New England, where they are known by the name of the
Mackerel Gull, appearing, with the approach of that fish,
towards the places of their summer residence. In New York
they are dignified, for the same reason, with the appellation
of the Sheep’s-Head Gull, prognosticating also the arrival of
that dainty fish in the waters of the State. About the middle
of May, still gregarious as they arrive, they commence with
the cares of reproduction. Artless in contrivance, the Terns
remedy the defect of a nest by selecting for their eyries insula-
ted sand-bars, wide beaches, but most commonly desolate, bare,
and small rocky islets, difficult of access, and rarely visited by
anything but themselves and birds of similar habits. A small
hollow scratch on the surface of the shelving rock, with the aid
of a little sand or gravel merely sufficient to prevent the eggs
from rolling off, are all the preparations employed by these
social and slovenly birds. The eggs are left exposed pur-
posely to the warming influence of the sun, the parent sitting
on them only in the night or during the existence of wet and
stormy weather. They are about 134 inches long by 1X in
width, of a dull yellowish or pale whitish olive, with dark-
brown blotches and spots, and others of a pale hue beneath
the surface, the whole often disposed in a sort of irregular
ring towards the obtuse end. Other eggs, again (as if of a dif-
ferent species of bird), are spotted almost equally all over.
COMMON TERN. 215
From the variety in the appearance of the eggs, it is pretty
obvious that the females indifferently and frequently lay in
each other’s nests, in the manner of our common fowls in a
state of domestication. ‘Though to all appearance thus aban-
doned to accident, the nests are constantly under the surveil-
lance of the Terns, and the appearance of an intruding visitor
on the solitary spot chosen for their breeding retreat fills the
whole neighboring troop with dismay and alarm; and in
defence of their young they are very bold, clamorous, and
resentful, sweeping round and darting down so close to the
visitor as sometimes to touch his hat, making at the same
time a hoarse and creaking sound, and occasionally uttering a
plaintive, long-drawn ’p/eé-way ; and when much irritated and
distressed by the fall of their companions or their brood by the
gun, we hear a jarring 4’%, &’%, 2’2, as well as a piping plaint ;
and at times they utter a bark almost like so many puppies.
On a rocky islet near Nahant, in the vicinity of Boston, known
by the name of the Egg Rock, thirty or forty pairs annually
breed, and among these, others are also distinguished by the
name of ’fee-do00s, from the sound of their usual note.
The young are often hatched at intervals of a day or two
from each other, and are carefully fed and watched for several
weeks before they are in a condition to fly. At first they are
fed on small fish and insects, such as grasshoppers and beetles,
the hard and indigestible parts of which food appearing to be
rejected by the bill in the manner of rapacious birds. The
young are afterwards fed without alighting, as they skim over
the spot; and then they merely drop the fish among the
brood, when the strongest and most active are consequently
the best served. The young at length launch out into the
marshes for themselves in quest of insects; while thus en-
gaged, at the warning voice of their parents, or the approach
of an enemy, they instantly squat down, and remain motionless
until the danger be over. As soon as the young are able to
fly, they are led by the old to the sand shoals and ripples
where fish are abundant, and occasionally feeding them, they
learn by example to provide for themselves.
216 SWIMMERS.
While flying, the Tern exhibits uncommon watchfulness ;
beating the air with a steady wing, and following the track oi
the vessel with an easy flight, this bird may be observed, with
quick eye and moving head, minutely scanning the haunts and
motions of its finny prey. At the approach of winter it retires
south of the limits of the Union.
In America this Tern is chiefly confined to the Eastern Pee
vince, and is a common bird throughout its range.
FORSTER’S TERN.
STERNA FORSTERI.
Cuar. Above, pearl gray, paler on the wings and tail; crown and
nape black; beneath, white; bill orange, the terminal third blackish;
legs and feet orange; claws black. Length 12 to 15 inches.
In winter the head and neck are white, the nape is tinged with gray,
and on the side of the head is a broad black band.
Nest. Ona marshy margin of lake or stream, or on a grassy island;
loosely made of reeds and sedges, and lined with grass.
£ggs. 2-3; varying from pale buff or olive to olive brown, marked
brown and pale lilac; average size about 1.80 X 1.25.
Nuttall wrote in a note to the Common Tern that the bird
described by Richardson as Sterna hirundo appeared to be a
distinct species, distinguished by the pearl-gray tail and other char-
acters, and he proposed for this probable new species the name
of Sterna forsteri, in honor of the eminent naturalist and voyager
who first suggested these distinctions. Having been recognized by
naturalists as a valid species, the name thus proposed has been
adopted for it.
In appearance, as in manners, the bird is very similar to the
Common Tern, though the present species displays a decided pre-
ference for a grass-covered nesting site, and is inclined to remain
near fresh water.
It is a rare bird along the Atlantic coast, excepting at Cobb’s
Island, off Virginia, but is abundant on the inland waters of the
west, north to Manitoba. A number nest every year on the St.
Clair Flats, Ontario; but the only examples that have been taken
in Canada to the eastward of that point were obtained at Lake
Mistassini, Quebec, and on Prince Edward’s Island.
In winter the flocks range southward as far as Brazil.
ROYAL TERN, 217
ROYAL TERN.
CAYENNE TERN. GANNET STRIKER.
STERNA MAXIMA.
Car. Mantle pearl gray; tail with less of the bluish tint; rump
nearly white; crown and nape black; primaries silvery gray, the inner
webs with a dark stripe next the shaft, and inner edge white ; under parts
white ; bill orange ; legs and feet black. Length 18 to 21 inches.
After the mating season,— the spring months, —the crown becomes
more or less white, and in winter the nape also has white feathers mixed
with the black.
Nest. No attempt is made to construct a receptacle for the eggs, which
are laid on the sand of a sea-beach or on the edge of a marshy lagoon.
£ggs. 1-4; buffy or yellowish drab, marked with brown or pale lilac;
average size about 2.65 X 1.75.
Nuttall makes bare mention of this handsome bird, — /a grande
Hirondelle-de-mer de Cayenne of Buffon, — knowing nothing of its
habits or distribution, and in error gives S. casfia as a synonym;
but the Caspian Tern is a larger bird and quite distinct. Our bird
is not exclusively American, as Nuttall supposed, for Dalgleish
found it on the west coast of Africa. In the United States it is
confined chiefly to the tropical and warm temperate regions, sel-
dom ranging north of latitude 40°, though a few examples have
wandered to the Great Lakes and as far up the coastline as
Massachusetts.
The centre of its abundance is along the Gulf shore, the birds
being especially numerous in Florida and Texas, though they are
also rather common at Cobb’s Island, Virginia. Mr. Chapman
says that “ during the winter it is about the only Tern one sees in
Florida waters. It is a strong active bird on the wing, and a reck-
less dashing diver.”
The name of “ Gannet-striker ” — often shortened to “ Gannet ”
—has been given to the Royal Tern from its Gannet-like per-
formance of descending upon its prey from the wing, darting
down perpendicularly and swiftly, plunging under the surface of
the water, but soon reappearing, and mounting into the air again
with considerable difficulty.
GULL-BILLED TERN.
MARSH TERN.
GELOCHELIDON NILOTICA.
CuHaR. Upper parts pale pearl gray; crown and nape black; under
parts white; bill short, stout, gull-shaped, and of black color; legs and
feet dusky. Length about 13 to 15 inches.
In winter the crown and nape are pale gray, and a bar of darker gray
runs through the eyes.
Nest. A slight depression in the sand of a sea-beach or river-bank,
sometimes amid the low grass on the margin of a marsh; occasionally
lined with grass or sea-weed.
£ges. 3-4; light buff or pale olive, marked with brown and lavender;
average size about 1.80 X 1.30.
This bird, though rare in England, is very common in east-
ern Europe, particularly in Hungary and on the confines of
Turkey. In the new continent it inhabits the whole coast of
the Atlantic from New England to Brazil. In Europe it
affects the covert of rushy marshes in the vicinity of the Great
Lakes, and rarely ever visits the sea-coast or the ocean. It has
also been seen inland, in Missouri, by Mr. Say, and probably
penetrates still farther into the interior to the coasts of the
Great Lakes of the North American continent. Wilson first
observed these birds on the shores of Cape May, in New
Jersey, where parties were engaged darting down like Swal-
GULL-BILLED TERN. 219
lows over the salt-marshes, in quest of some aquatic insects or
spiders which occur upon the surface of the water. Their
food while here appears wholly composed of insects; in
Europe also their fare is similar, and they feed upon lepidop-
terous insects or moths as well as other kinds, showing indeed
by this peculiarity of appetite their independence on the
produce of the ocean, and their indifference to salt water as
preferred to fresh.
The Marsh Terns keep apart by themselves, and breed in
company on the borders of the salt-marshes among the drift-
grass, preparing no artificial nest, laying three or four eggs of
a greenish olive spotted with brown. The voice of this species
is sharper and stronger than that of the Common Tern.
This Tern is common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the
Southern States, breeding as far north as Southern New Jersey,
and occasionally examples wander to Long Island and the Great
Lakes. One has been taken in Massachusetts, and one in the Bay
of Fundy.
Though not a fish-eating Tern, this bird is rarely found away
from the sea-shore in America. It utters a variety of notes, the
most common being fairly represented by the syllables Zay-wek,
kay-wek. One note is described as a laugh, and is said to sound
like hay-hay-hay.
ARCTIC TERN.
STERNA PARADIS/A.
Cuar. Mantle pearl gray; darker on the wings ; rump and tail white ;
tail deeply forked ; lower parts gray tinged with pearl gray almost as dark
as the mantle; paler on the throat; bill and feet deep carmine. Length
14 to 17 inches.
In winter the lower parts are whiter, and the crown has more white
than black feathers ; also the bill and feet are dusky.
Nest. On the sand of a sea-beach, often amid shingle or drifted sea-
weed; sometimes a slight hollow sparsely lined with grass or weed-stems.
Eggs. 2-4; not easily distinguished from those of S. Azrundo, but
usually ofa darker ground color and more heavily marked; ground
color varies from buff to buffish brown, and olive to olive brown, the
markings of several shades of brown ; average size about 1.55 X 1.15.
The name of this bird—like the names of too many other
species — is misleading; for while the bird ranges through the
Arctic region and nests have been discovered as far north as lati-
tude 82°, yet numbers breed on the islands of the Bay of Fundy
and the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts. It is said to have
been abundant in the last-named State some years ago.
ARCTIC TERN. 221
The peculiar distribution of this species, and the supposition that
the flocks never migrate down the shores of the Pacific, have led
some naturalists to suggest that the birds were originally confined
to the Atlantic Ocean, though ranging on both its eastern and west-
ern shores. The breeding area, they say, was gradually extended
east and west, one division of the birds going off along the north-
ern shore of America, the other across the end of Europe and
Asia, advanced flocks of each division finally meeting at Bering
Sea. But at the approach of winter these flocks separated at that
point, and ignoring the Pacific route to a milder climate, they fol-
lowed “hereditary instincts” and returned to the Atlantic, each
division migrating along its own path and wintering on its own
chosen shore, —the flocks of one wing ranging to the Middle
States, the others to the Canary Islands.
The hypothesis is interesting and the facts are in the main cor-
rect; but it has been strongly hinted that the hypothesis has been
cruelly disturbed by the birds themselves, — they have turned up in
California. The hypothesis should not, however, be abandoned
because a few individuals have forsaken the traditions of their
race, — that is a common weakness of those who ‘go west.”
Enough Arctic Terns still follow the ways of their fathers when
migrating, to prove the strength of this inherited tendency.
In habits as well as in general appearance and manners this
species differs but slightly from the Common Tern. Our bird is
perhaps more graceful on the wing, though both fly with wonderful
grace and ease, and the Arctic Tern displays more boldness in
defence of its young or of a wounded companion. It seems utterly
fearless, and will advance so close as to strike with its pinions a
hand that menaces its young; and when a colony is invaded by
any marauder, the Arctic Tern is the first to lead an attack upon
the intruder, and the attack is so fierce that the colony is usually
saved.
The Arctic Terns frequent rocky islands and secluded portions
of the mainland, and in these localities the birds gather in large
communities. They may be seen sitting on a rock or stump, watch-
ing for their prey, in Kingfisher fashion. They float buoyantly on
the water, but rarely dive beneath the surface.
Mr. Brewster considers their notes vary little from those of the
Common Tern though they can be distinguished. The usual cry
of the Arctic Tern resembles that of its congener, “ but is shriller,
ending in a rising inflection, and sounding very like the squeal of a
pig.” \
222 SWIMMERS.
CABOT’S TERN.
SANDWICH TERN.
STERNA SANDVICENSIS ACUFLAVIDA.
Cuar. Upper parts pale pearl gray, much paler on rump and tail,
tail deeply forked; crown and nape black; under parts white tinged with
pink ; bill black tipped with pale buff; legs and feet black. Length 14 to
16 inches.
Vest. A slight hollow scratched in the sand of a sea-beach or ona
grassy island ; sometimes lined with grass or dry sea-weed.
Leggs. 2-4 (usually 3); ground color varies from white through cream
color to brownish buff; sometimes tinged with olive; the markings are
varied, but always profuse, and of several shades of brown and pale gray ;
size variable, average about 2.00 X 1.40.
Few species have a wider geographic range than the Sand-
wich Tern. It was first observed in England by Mr. Boys, of
Sandwich, where it is not uncommon, and was afterwards pub-
lished by Latham. It is readily confounded with the Common
Tern (Sterna hirundo), but is superior in size, besides possessing
other differences ; it is rather rare on other parts of the Eng-
lish coast. It is believed to breed on the shores of Sandwich,
and retires south in autumn, where it is probably afterwards
seen migrating to the coast of Africa to pass the winter, and
the young birds have been brought from the distant shores of
New Zealand. According to Temminck it is very abundant in
the isles of North Holland, and chiefly frequents the sea-coast,
though sometimes it has been known to wander into the inte-
rior and visit fresh waters. In the Leverian Museum there
existed, some years ago, a specimen of the young bird from
South America; but it was left for our indefatigable friend
Audubon to discover this interesting cosmopolite within the
boundary of the United States. In 1832 he with his party
obtained a considerable number of specimens in summer
plumage during the month of May in East Florida, and they
were particularly abundant in the vicinity of Indian Key, about
thirty miles from Cape Sable. In this place in the usual man-
ner of the genus they breed together in large communities.
ROSEATE TERN, 223
Cabot’s Tern differs but slightly in coloration of plumage from
the Sandwich Tern of England; but our bird is confined to the
tropical and warm temperate regions, occurring in numbers no
farther north than Florida, though occasionally represented by a
wanderer along the coast even to Massachusetts. It is pre-emi-
nently a sea-bird, and is rarely found inland.
To write of the bird’s habits would necessitate a repetition of
what has been said of others of this group; for Cabot’s Tern dis-
plays little originality or individuality in its methods, though it may
be credited with great power of sustained flight, and more than
many of the Terns deserves the name “ Sea Swallow,” so generally
applied to the entire group; but instead of pursuing flies it preys
solely upon fish. Its strength of wing and skill enable it to outride
the severest storms, and flocks of these birds may be seen dipping
into crested waves or skimming over angry breakers to seize the
prey that may be brought to the surface by the gale.
ROSEATE TERN.
STERNA DOUGALLI.
Cuar. Upper parts delicate pearl gray, paler on the tail; crown and
nape deep black; lower parts delicate rose pink, which fades to white
after death; bill black; legs and feet red; wings short, primaries dusky ;
tail long and deeply forked. Length about 15% inches.
Nest. A slight hollow in the sand of a sea-beach or barren sea-island,
often amid the coarser shingle , sometimes sparsely lined with beach-grass
or sea-weed.
Eggs. 2-4 (usually 3); ground color varied from light to dark buff and
pale to deep olive ; profusely and irregularly marked with several shades
of brown; average size about 1.55 X 1.15.
Eggs of the Common, Arctic, and Roseate Terns are too much alike to
be distinguished. ‘Those of the present species are said to be slightly
lighter in color as a rule.
The Roseate Tern, so frequently associated with and con-
founded in the character of the Common Tern, is another
species common to the colder and temperate parts of both
continents, being frequent upon the coasts of Scotland and
England, particularly the former. It is also found in
Norway, and probably also upon the borders of the Baltic,
visiting the northern coasts of the ocean in small numbers,
224 SWIMMERS.
associated with flocks of the Great Tern. ‘The particular
places of resort for the present species, according to Dr.
M’Dougal, are two small, flat, and rocky islands in the Firth
of Clyde called Cumbrae Islands, chiefly about Milford Bay.
On these islands the Common Tern swarms to such a degree
that it was scarcely possible to step without treading upon the
young birds or eggs. The new species here described was shot
by accident, without its being distinguished until it lay dead
upon the ground, when the Doctor’s attention was attracted by
the beautiful pale roseate hue of the breast. There did not
here appear to be more than about one in two hundred of the
present with the Common Tern ; but they were at length easily
singled out by the comparative shortness of their wings, white-
ness of their plumage, and by the elegance and slowness of
their aérial motion, often sweeping along or resting in the air
almost immovable, like the soaring of a Hawk; and they
were also distinguishable by the comparative inferiority of
their size.
In the United States these birds are sparingly seen with the
Common Tern, as I have obtained an individual on the coast
at Chelsea Beach ; and they may breed on the neighboring isle
of Egg Rock or in similar places in the temperate parts of the
Union.
This beautifully tinted and graceful bird is of rather southern
habitat, only a small number breeding northward of southern Mas-
sachusetts on this side of the Atlantic, though a few examples
have wandered along the coast as far as the Bay of Fundy. It is
almost exclusively a bird of the open ocean, seldom even frequent-
ing the salt-lagoons; but several have been captured on the Great
Lakes. Large numbers once gathered at Muskegat Island, one of
the Nantucket group; but of late years they have shared the fate of
all their kindred and been slaughtered by milliners’ assistants that
their wings might adorn my lady’s hat, until now very few remain.
Says William Brewster, writing of Muskegat: “Were it not for
man, — who, alas ! must be ranked as the greatest of all destroyers,
— the Terns would here find an asylum sufficiently secure from all
foes.” He graphically tells of the shooting of hundreds of the birds
by yachting parties, “either in wanton sport or for their wings,
which are presented to fair companions;” and adds: “ Then the
LEAST TERN. 226
graceful vessel spreads her snowy sails and glides blithely away
through the summer seas; all is gayety and merriment on board.
But among the barren sand-hills, fast fading in the distance, many a
poor bird is seeking its mate, many a downy orphan is crying for
the food its dead mother can no longer supply, many a pretty
speckled egg lies cold and deserted. Buzzing flies settle upon the
bloody bodies, and the tender young pine away and die. A grace-
ful, pearl-tinted wing surmounts a jaunty hat for a brief season, and
then is cast aside, and Muskegat lies forgotten, with the bones of
the mother and her offspring bleaching on the white sand. This
is no fancy sketch; all the world over the sad destruction goes
on. It is indeed the price of blood that is paid for nodding plumes.
Science may be, nay, certainly is, cruel at times; but not one tithe
of the suffering is caused by her disciples that the votaries of the
goddess Fashion yearly sanction.”
LEAST TERN.
SILVERY TERN. LITTLE STRIKER.
STERNA ANTILLARUM.
CHAR. Upper parts pale pearl gray of a silvery tint; crown and nape
black, the forehead with a patch of white; outer wing-feathers dusky;
under parts white ; bill yellow, tipped with black; legs and feet orange.
Length about 9 inches.
Vest. A slight hollow in the sand of a sea-beach.
Lges. 2-4 (usually 3); pale to deep buff, sometimes tinged with olive,
profusely blotched with brown and lavender; average size about 1.25
X 0.95.
The Silvery Tern, apparently of Temminck, and the Lesser
Tern of Wilson, is an inhabitant of the American continent,
and was first detected as distinct from the European species
by Prince de Neuwied, in Brazil. In the United States it
arrives from its hybernal retreat later than the Common Tern,
and is not met with so far to the north, being unknown in the
Canadian fur countries. These birds are, however, common
in the Middle and New England States, being frequently seen
coasting along the shores or over pools and salt-marshes in
quest of the insects and small shrimps which constitute their
favorite fare ; they also occasionally dart down upon small fish
VOL. 1. — 15
226 SWIMMERS.
and fry, hovering, suspended in the air, for a moment over
their prey, like so many small Hawks, and with equal prompt-
ness dash headlong into the water after it, seizing it with the
bill, as the feet are incapable of prehension. The Silvery Tern
sometimes makes extensive incursions along the river courses,
and has been shot several hundred miles from the sea, its
principal place of residence.
In the latter end of May or beginning of June the female
commences laying. The eggs are merely deposited in a slight
scratch in the sand, and left to hatch in the heat of the sun;
the bird, as usual, sitting on them only during the night and
in wet and stormy weather. On approaching their breeding-
places the old birds assemble in crowds around the intruder,
and after a good deal of vociferation, flying round in wide cir-
cuits, they often approach within a few yards of one’s head,
squeaking almost like so many young pigs, and appear to be
very irritable and resentful. At other times, when not excited
or alarmed, they are tame and unsuspicious, particularly the
young birds, often heedlessly passing the spectator within a
few yards while tracing the windings of the shore in quest of
their prey.
This is a bird of the tropical and warm-temperate regions, breed-
ing chiefly from the Middle States southward, and wintering in
Central America. The Nantucket Islands were a favorite resort
some years ago, but few examples are found there now. Occasion-
ally stragglers wander along the coast as far as Labrador, and a
few have been seen on the Great Lakes and in Minnesota. Its
voice is described as ‘(a sharp squeak, much like the cry of a very
young pig following its mother.”
CASPIAN TERN.
GANNET STRIKER.
STERNA TSCHEGRAVA.
Cuar. Mantle pale pearl gray; tail and wings silvery; crown and
nape black; under parts white; bill red, tipped with black; legs and feet
black. In winter the black cap is streaked with white. In immature
birds the upper parts are light gray mottled with brownish gray; bill
yellowish brown; legsand feet brown. The largest of the Terns. Length
21 inches or more.
Nest. A slight hollow in the sand, sometimes lined with a little grass
or sea-weed.
£ggs. 2-3; buff of various shades, sometimes tinged with olive,
marked with brown and lavender ; average size 2.60 X 1.75.
This Tern received its name from Pallas, who discovered it on the
shores of the Caspian Sea. It was first described in 1770, but was
not known to the earlier American naturalists, Baird’s work of
1858 being the first in which its name appears.
It is not abundant in this country, or indeed in any country ex-
cepting in a few localities, though cosmopolitan in its distribution
228 SWIMMERS.
and ranging over inland waters as well as on the sea. It has been
found breeding on Cobb’s Island, Virginia, but along the New Eng-
land shores it isseen in the spring and autumn chiefly, indicating a
Northern nesting ground, though few specimens have been taken in
the Arctic regions. It is said that nests have been taken on the
shores of Texas and in Great Slave Lake, — which would give
the bird an extensive breeding area, though the nesting sites are in
widely separated localities. It might almost be said of this bird that
it ranges over the entire globe, and breeds throughout its range.
The cry of the bird is loud and harsh, resembling the syllables
kay-owk, or key-rak ; though when a nesting site is menaced, or a
pair meets in contention for a coveted mouthful, the cry is reduced
to a sharp Zo, or kak, or kowk.
The Caspian Tern preys chiefly on fish; but several naturalists
have reported finding the remains of eggs and young birds in its
stomach. ,
Norte. — A few examples of TRUDEAU’s TERN (Sterna trudeauz),
a South American species, have wandered north as far as Long
Island; and the BRIDLED TERN (S. an@thetus), also a tropical
bird, has been taken off the coast of Florida.
SOOTY TERN.
STERNA FULIGINOSA.
CuHar. Upper parts sooty black; forehead, outer tail-feathers, and
under parts white; bill, legs, and feet, deep black. Length about 16
inches.
est. A slight hollow in the sand of an open sea-beach; sometimes
amid the thicket of herbage bordering the beach.
Leggs. 1-3 (usually 1); white to pale buff, spotted with reddish brown
and lilac; average size 2.00 X 1.40.
These Terns generally inhabit the tropical seas, being widely
dispersed into either hemisphere. On the Isle of Ascension
they breed in swarms. The flocks which possess the various
parts of the island, perpetually breeding, in this mild latitude
were found laying at different times. In some places the
young were hatched and grown, in others newly laid eggs
were seen. They uttered a sharp and shrill cry, and were so
fearless of the men who visited the island as to fly almost
SOOTY TERN, 229
among them. ‘The species is migratory, however, even in
these mild climates.
Along the coasts of Georgia and Florida Wilson observed
these Terns in numerous flocks in the month of July. They
were very noisy, and darted down headlong after small fish.
Birds of this species frequently settle on the rigging of ships at
sea, and, in common with their relatives, are called Noddies by
the sailors.
The Sooty Tern occurs regularly north to the Carolinas, and oc-
casionally wanders to the shores of Massachusetts. It is almost
exclusively a sea-bird, feeding chiefly upon fish, which it catches by
swooping to the surface, not by dropping into the water. It rarely
floats upon the water, but its flight is powerful and rapid.
“It breeds in colonies in little-frequented islands in the West
Indies, and may be seen fishing in flocks which hover low over the
water" (Chapman).
Note. — A few examples of the WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN
(A. leucoptera) have wandered to America. One was taken by
Professor Kumlien in Wisconsin, and six were seen by Professor
Macoun on a lake near Winnipeg.
BLACK TERN.
SHORT-TAILED TERN.
HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA SURINAMENSIS.
CHAR. Upper parts, deep slate gray; head, neck, and under parts
black ; lower tail-coverts white; bill black; legs and feet dusky or red-
dish brown. In winter the black is mostly replaced by white, the crown
gray. Length about 9% inches.
Vest. A slight hollow in the muddy soil of a reedy marsh, sometimes
sparsely lined with grass; often placed on a platform of floating herbage,
and then is made of reeds or coarse sedges firmly constructed.
Zeggs. 3; ground color varies from grayish buff to yellowish brown,
sometimes tinged with olive ; profusely marked with several shades of
brown and purplish gray ; average size about 1.40 X I.00.
This is another aquatic bird common to the northern regions
of both continents, extending its residence to the limits of the
Arctic Circle, and breeding in the fur countries of the interior
upon the borders of lakes and in swamps. It is also very
common in Holland and in the great marshes of Hungary, and
has been observed round the salt lakes of Siberia and Tartary.
BLACK TERN. 231
In Europe it is met with as far as Iceland. In all situations it
appears to prefer the borders of rivers, lakes, or marshes to
the vicinity of the sea, except when engaged in its migrations.
This Tern is a common summer inhabitant of England, ap-
pearing, according to Montagu, in Romney Marsh, in Kent,
about the latter end of April, breeding on the sedgy borders
of pools, and though very near to the sea, it is rarely seen
on the shores till after the breeding-season, and is then un-
common. These birds breed likewise in the fens of Lincoln-
shire, making a nest of flags or broad grass upon a tuft just
elevated above the surface of the water.
The young of this species are rather common on the coasts
of New Jersey during autumn, on their way still farther
south to pass the winter. Wilson observed a flock of these
driven inland as far as the meadows of the Schuylkill, by a
violent storm from the northeast. Hundreds of them were to
be seen at the same time, accompanied by flocks of the Yel-
low-Legs and a few Purres (Z7inga alfina). Famished by
the accident which had impelled them from their usual abodes,
they were now busy, silent, and unsuspicious, darting down
after their prey of beetles, grasshoppers, and other insects, now
afloat by the inundation, without hesitating, though perpetually
harassed by gunners, who had assembled to view the extra-
ordinary spectacle of these rare flocks of wandering birds. In
ordinary, as in Europe, they frequent mill-ponds and fresh-
water marshes, in preference to the bays and the sea-coast.
The Black Tern is a common bird on the lakes of the interior
north to Alaska, and is seen on the sea-coast chiefly during the fall
migration. It breeds southward to the Middle States, west of the
Alleghanies. Occasional examples occur along the Massachusetts
shore, and some have been taken at Grand Menan.
In “ Birds of Manitoba” Thompson writes : — “It seems not to
subsist on fish at all, but chiefly on dragon flies and various aquatic
insects. It finds both its home and its food in the marshes usually,
but its powers of flight are so great that it may also be seen far out
on the dry open plains, scouring the country for food at a distance
of miles from its nesting ground.”
232 SWIMMERS.
NODDY.
ANOUS STOLIDUS.
Cuar. Plumage deep sooty brown, darker on wings and tail, paler on
neck; crown hoary gray, shading to white on the forehead. Length
about 15 inches,
West. Usually in a tree or low bush, sometimes on a cliff of a rocky
island, made of twigs lined with leaves and grass.
£ggs. 1; pale buff, sometimes tinged with slate, spotted with brown
and lavender; 2.00 X 1.35.
These common and well-known birds inhabit all parts of the
tropical seas, and migrate occasionally as far as the coasts of
the United States, at which times they are generally seen in
flocks, and are by no means rare. Familiar to mariners who
navigate in the equatorial regions, the Noddy, like the voyager,
frequents the open seas to the distance of some hundreds of
leagues from the land, and with many other birds of similar
appetites and propensities, it is seen in great flights assidu-
ously following the shoals of its finny prey. It pursues them
by flying near the surface of the water, and may now be
seen continually dropping on the small fish, which approach
the surface to shun the persecution of the greater kinds by
which they are also harassed. A rippling and silvery white-
ness in the water marks the course of the timid and tumultuous
shoals, and the whole air resounds with the clangor of these
gluttonous and greedy birds, who, exulting or contending for
success, fill the air with their varied but discordant cries.
Where the strongest rippling appears, there the thickest swarms
of Noddies and sea-fowl are uniformly assembled. They fre-
quently fly on board of ships at sea, and are so stupid or indo-
lent on such occasions as to suffer themselves to be taken by
the hand from the yards on which they settle ; they sometimes,
however, when seized, bite and scratch with great resolution,
leading one to imagine that they are disabled often from
flight by excessive fatigue or hunger.
The Noddies breed in great numbers in the Bahama Islands,
laying their eggs on the bare shelvings of the rocks; they also
NODDY. 233
breed on the Roca Islands and various parts of the coast of
Brazil and Cayenne. _ According to the accounts of voyagers,
they lay vast numbers of eggs on certain rocky isles contiguous
to St. Helena, and the eggs are there accounted a delicate
food. Some have imagined that the appearance of the Noddy
at sea indicates the proximity of land ; but, in the manner of the
Common Tern, these birds adventure out to sea, and like the
mariner himself, the shelter of whose friendly vessel they seek,
they often voyage at random for several days at a time, com-
mitting themselves to the mercy of the boundless ocean; and
having at certain seasons no predilection for a peculiar climate,
the roving flocks or stragglers find a home on every coast.
This Tern never comes up the Atlantic coast beyond the South-
ern States, but is common around Florida and on the Gulf shores.
SABINE’S GULL.
FORKED-TAIL GULL.
XEMA SABINII.
CHAR. Mantle deep bluish gray, — French gray; head and’neck dark
slaty gray, bordered by a collar of black; quills black tipped with white ;
tail and under parts white; bill black tipped with red, which in dried
skins becomes yellowish. In winter the head is white, and the nape slaty
gray. The young birds are similar to the winter plumage of the adults,
but the mantle is more or less varied with brown and buff, and the tail
has a terminal band of black. Length about 14 inches. .
Nest. On an island, usually in a lake, sometimes near the coast, — gen-
erally a depression in the mossy turf, sparsely lined with grass, occasion-
ally on the bare ground or in sand.
Eggs. 2-3 (usually 2); ground color of various shades of brown tinted
with olive, marked with fine spots of dark brown and gray; average size
about 1.75 X 1.25,
This interesting species was discovered by Captain Sabine
at its breeding-station on some low rocky islands lying off the
west coast of Greenland, associated in considerable numbers
with the Arctic Tern, the nests of the two birds intermingled.
It is analogous to the Tern, not only in its forked tail and in
its choice of a breeding-place, but also in the boldness which it
displays in the protection of its young. The parent birds flew
SABINE’S GULL. 235
with impetuosity towards those who approached their nests,
and when one was killed, its mate, though frequently fired at,
continued on the wing close to the spot. The birds were
observed to collect their food from the sea-beach, standing
near the edge of the water, and gleaning the marine insects
which were cast on the shore. When newly killed, the plu-
mage of the under parts had a delicate pink blush.
Like most of the black-headed members of this group, Sdbine’s
Gull displays a preference for inland waters, especially in the nest-
ing season, though it never builds far away from the sea. Its
breeding area lies in the Far North, near the shores of the Arctic
Ocean; but in winter it ranges to New England and to the Great
Lakes. It is not common, however, so far south; probably more
examples have been seen about the mouth of the Bay of Fundy
than elsewhere along our shores.
Norte. — Nuttall gave a place in his work to the LITTLE GULL
(Larus minutus) ; but while the bird was mentioned in -the “ His-
tory of N. A. Birds,” and in Ridgway’s “ Manual,” it was omitted
from the first edition of “ The A. O. U. Check List,” though it has
been recognized in the edition recently issued. Examples have
been reported from Bermuda and Long Island, but the bird cannot
be considered more than an accidental straggler from the eastern
hemisphere.
LAUGHING GULL.
BLACK-HEADED GULL.
LARUS ATRICILLA.
CHAR. Mantle deep slaty gray; head and neck dark brownish slate;
outer wing-feathers black ; tail and under parts white, slightly tinged with
pale pink; bill and feet dull red.
In winter the under parts lose the pink tint, and the head is white.
Length about 16 inches.
Nest. Ona grassy island, hid amid a tussock of sedges or in the sand
of a sea-beach; a slight depression in the turf lined with fine grass.
Leggs. 3-5; dull white or pale slate tinged with green or blue, marked
profusely with brown and lilac; average size about 2.20 X 1.55.
This species, very common in most parts of America, is also
frequent in Europe, particularly in the warmer parts, as the
coasts of Sicily, Spain, and the islands of the Mediterranean ;
elsewhere in that continent it is rare and accidental. In
America it is found as far south as Cayenne and Mexico, but
does not appear to inhabit far north of the limits of the Union.
On the coast of New Jersey it makes its appearance in the
latter part of April, and is soon discovered by its familiar-
LAUGHING GULL. 237
ity and noise ; companies are even seen at times around the
farm-house, or coursing along the river shores, attending upon
the track of the fishermen for garbage, gleaning among the
refuse of the tide ; or, scattering over the marshes and plough-
ing fields, they collect, at this season, an abundant repast of
worms, insects, and their larve. Great numbers are also seen
collected together to feed upon the prolific spawn of the king-
crab. While thus engaged, if approached they rise, as it were,
in clouds, at the same time squalling so loudly that the din
may be heard for two or three miles.
The Black-Headed Gulls breed in the marshes of New
Jersey, but are not seen during the breeding-period in New
England, and are indeed at all times rare in this quarter. Be-
ing apparently a somewhat tender species, they retire to the
South early in autumn, and on commencing their migrations,
if the weather be calm, they are seen to rise up in the air spir-
ally, all loudly chattering as it were in concert, like a flock of
cackling hens, the note changing at short intervals into a
‘haw, 'ha'ha’ha ’haw, the final syllable lengthened out into
an excessive and broad laugh. After ascending to a consider-
able height, they all move off, by common consent, in the line
of their intended destination.
On the 4th of March (1830), while at Beaufort, North
Carolina, in company with several other species I saw a small
flock of these Risible Gulls, which every now and then, while
amusing themselves by fishing and plunging after their prey
of fry, burst out very oddly into an of oh agh agh, or a coarse,
laughing scream.
The Laughing Gulls used to breed in numbers on the Nantucket
islands, but they have been nearly exterminated, though during the
last few years, thanks to the efforts of Mr. George H. Mackay, of
Boston, the colony there has been protected and is increasing. To
the southward these birds are still common, being particularly abun.
dant on the Florida coast and among the West India islands.
238 SWIMMERS.
FRANKLIN’S GULL.
LARUS FRANKLINII.
Cuar. Mantle deep bluish gray; head dark sooty slate color, a patch
of white over the eyes; outer wing-feathers barred with black and tipped
with white; tail pale pearl gray; under parts white, tinted with rose pink ;
bill bright red, barred near the end with black; legs dull red. In winter
the head is white. Length about 14 inches.
Vest. In a reedy marsh or woody swamp; made of flags or other
coarse herbage.
£ggs. 3; pale to dark buff or drab, sometimes tinged with olive, pro-
fusely marked with several shades of brown; 2.10 X 1.40.
Franklin’s Gull is chiefly confined to the western division of
this continent, nesting in suitable localities amid the plains from
about latitude 43° to the Saskatchewan valley, where it is abun-
dant. Small numbers have been found nesting in Iowa and Wis-
consin. In autumn the flocks migrate southward and range through
Central America, some going as far as Peru.
These birds build in communities and are very noisy. While on
the wing they utter constantly a shrill and plaintive cry.
BONAPARTE’S GULL.
LaRUS PHILADELPHIA.
CHAR. Mantle pearl gray; head and neck or hood grayish black or
deep slate color; white patches over the eyes; outer wing-feathers with
a subterminal bar of black tipped with white, excepting outer web of first
primary, which is entirely black; tail white; under parts white, tinged
with rose pink; bill black and slender; legs and feet bright red. In win-
ter the head is white, with a dusky spot on the cheeks and a tinge of gray
on the nape. In young birds the head and back are more or less tinged
with brown, and the tail has a terminal band of black. Length about 14
inches.
Nest. Usually in a tree, sometimes on a high branch, often in a low
bush amid a woody swamp; made of twigs and lined with grass or moss.
Eges. 3-4 (usually 3); pale to dark brown, often tinged with olive,
marked with brown and lavender; 2.00 X 1.40.
This elegant Gull is common in all parts of the fur countries,
where it associates with the Terns, and is distinguished by its
PI. XVI.
ff
aan Hin,
(i
Ky ipa HY
Clee WY
MT iagesti1\
1. Northern Phalarope. 3. Wilson's Tern.
2.Bonaparte's Gull. 4-5.Herring Gull.
ROSS'S GULL. 239
peculiar shrill and plaintive cry. Small flocks, early in au-
tumn, are occasionally seen on the coast of Massachusetts, and
sometimes high in the air their almost melodious whistling is
heard as they proceed on their way to the South, or inland to
feed. Their prey appears to be chiefly insects; and two which
I had an opportunity of examining were gorged with ants and
their eggs, and some larve of moths in their pupa state. These
birds both old and young are good food.
Bonaparte’s Gull ranges throughout North America, breeding
in Manitoba and northward, and migrating by inland and coast
routes to and from its winter resorts in the southern portions of the
United States.
Small numbers of these Gulls are seen on the New England
coast during the summer, but no evidence has been produced of
their having nested in this vicinity. It has been suggested that
the examples that loiter through the summer without reaching the
breeding-grounds are immature or unfertile birds. In the autumn
— from early August on — large flocks of these birds swarm along
the coast
ROSS’S GULL.
WEDGE-TAILED GULL.
RHODOSTETHIA ROSEA.
CHAR. Mantle pearl gray; head and tail white; a narrow collar of
black around the neck, and a few black feathers near the eyes; outer
feather of the wings black; tail long, pointed, and wedge-shaped; bill
slender and black; legs and feet dull red, — “terra cotta,” — claws black.
Length 13% inches.
In winter the black collar is absent, and the crown is tinged with gray,
Young birds are distinguished by a band of brownish black on wings and
tail.
Nest and Eggs. Unknown.
Although discovered so long ago as 1823, very little is yet known
of the habits or distribution of this Gull. So late as 1881, only
twenty-three specimens were to be found in the museums of the
world, and the species was supposed to be exceedingly rare, until
the American expedition to Point Bartow saw large loose flocks
240 SWIMMERS,
during September and October coming in from the sea to the west-
ward, and rapidly passing along the coast towards the northeast.
They were migrating evidently ; but whither? and where had they
come from, — where had they been nesting? These questions are
still unanswered. It has been suggested that the birds may turn
southward, and winter in the interior of this continent, — possibly
in the Barren Ground region. But a more probable supposition is
that offered, I think by Lieutenant Ray, that the flocks move east-
ward until they meet the floating ice, and then wheel seaward and
remain amid the “ fields ” during the winter months, drifting south-
ward,—too far from land to be observed, and feeding at the edge
of the “pack.”
But these are speculations only. It has been determined, how-
ever, that the species is abundant in the vicinity of Bering Sea
and breeds somewhere along the Siberian shore of the Arctic
Ocean, that it occurs as an occasional visitor only in other portions
of the Arctic region, and as an accidental straggler elsewhere.
Upon what land the nest is placed is still unknown. It must lie
somewhere in the frozen region to the westward or northward of
Wrangel Island, and may be amid the Liakoff isles, or on some
undiscovered island still closer to the Pole.
KITTIWAKE.
RISSA TRIDACTYLA.
Criir. Mantle deep pearl gray; head, neck, tail, and under parts
white; ends of outer wing-feathers — the primaries — black, tipped with
white ; bill greenish yellow ; legs and feet black. Length 15% inches.
In winter the back of the neck is more or less suffused with gray.
Young birds have a black bill ; patch on back of neck, shoulders, and
terminal band on the tail brownish black.
Vest. In a colony on the ledges of a cliff or on the mossy turf of an
island, eccasionally amid the sand or shingle of a sea-beach; usually
made of sea-weed or other coarse herbage from “the drift,” lined with
grass or moss ; sometimes a few feathers are added. Each year the bulk
is increared by the addition of material. Nests have been found which
were mere depressions in the sand, sparsely lined with grass.
ges. 2-43; buff of various shades of brown tinted with olive, marked
with uiown and lavender; average size 2.20 X 1.60.
Te Kittiwake, or Tarrock, is found in the north of both
cw#tinents. It inhabits Newfoundland, Labrador, the islands
ir. the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, the coasts of the Pacific,
‘OL. I. — 16
242 SWIMMERS,
Spitzbergen, Greenland, Iceland, and the north of Europe, as
well as the Arctic coast of Asia and Kamtschatka. It likewise
breeds in some of the Scottish islands, and is generally found
about saline lakes and the interior seas and gulfs, but is less
frequent on the borders of the ocean. In autumn these birds
spread themselves over the banks of rivers and lakes. They
feed upon fish, fry, and insects, and nest upon the rocks near the
sea-coast, laying three eggs of an olivaceous white, marked with
a great number of small dark spots and other grayish ones less
distinct. In Iceland they inhabit the cliffs of the coast in vast
numbers, and utter loud and discordant cries, particularly on
the approach of rapacious birds, as the Sea Eagle, which prob-
ably prey upon their young. Both their flesh and eggs are
esteemed as good food.
The Kittiwake is more strictly a bird of the ocean than Nuttall’s
remarks imply. In the Far North —in Greenland and along the
shores of the Arctic Ocean — the nesting site of a colony is usually
at the head or inland end of a fjord or bay; but in milder latitudes
the chosen site is a craggy cliff against which the angered waves
dash with unbroken force. Small colonies are found along our
coast as far south as the mouth of the Bay of Fundy; but farther
north the number of birds nesting in a community is very large.
At one famous range of cliffs in Norway the number of breeding
birds has been estimated by a careful naturalist at half a million.
In the winter these birds visit the New England shores and extend
their range as far south as Virginia, and at that season a few exam-
ples visit the Great Lakes.
Our bird differs but little in its habits from other oceanic Gulls.
Feeding chiefly on fish, but accepting any diet that drifts within
range of its keen sight; drinking salt water in preference to fresh;
breasting a gale with ease and grace — soaring in mid-air, skim-
ming close above the crested waves, or swooping into the trough
for a coveted morsel; resting upon the rolling billows and sleeping
serenely as they roll, with head tucked snugly under a wing; wan-
dering in loose flocks and making comrades of other wanderers ;
devoted to mate and young and attached to all its kin, — wherever
seen or however employed, the Kittiwake is revealed as a typical
gleaner of the sea.
The name is derived from the bird’s singular cry, which resem-
bles the syllables £2¢tz-aa kitti-aa.
RING-BILLED GULL. 243
Note. — Nuttall stated that the European Common Gut (ZL.
canus) — also called SEAMEW, from its feline cry — occurs regu-
larly in winter on our shores; but in this statement he was merely
following Richardson, who confounded this species with the Ring-
billed Gull. The only known instance of the occurrence of the
Seamew on this side of the Atlantic is the taking of one example
in Labrador by Dr. Coues.
RING-BILLED GULL.
LARUS DELAWARENSIS.
Cuar. Mantle deep pearl gray; head, neck, tail, and under parts
white ; outer wing-feathers black, tipped with white, the other primaries
more or less barred with black and tipped with white; bill greenish yel-
low, with a band of black near the end and tipped with orange ; legs and
feet yellow, sometimes tinged with green.
In winter the head and nape are spotted with pale dusky. Young birds
are mottled white and dusky; on the upper parts the dark tint prevails,
varied on the back with pale buff, and the lower parts are mostly white ;
tail dusky, tipped with white and pale gray at the base; shoulders gray;
bill dusky, fading toward the base. Length 194 inches.
Nest. On a grassy island in a lake or on an ocean cliff, — made of coarse
grass or sea-weed.
£ggs. 2-3; ground color varied from pale to dark buff, sometimes
tinged with green or slate; profusely marked with several shades of
brown and lilac; average size about 2.40 X 1.70.
The Ring-billed Gull is distributed throughout this continent,
but is more abundant on the saline lakes of the plains than along
the sea-coast. Inthe West the breeding area extends from Southern
Minnesota to Great Salt Lake, but on the coast this Gull does not
nest farther south than Newfoundland. It is rather common dur-
ing spring and fall on the New England coast, and in winter ranges
from Long Island to the West Indies. Only a few examples have
been taken on the Great Lakes.
The chief summer diet of this species, in the interior, is grass-
hoppers, which the birds catch in the air as well as on the ground.
IVORY GULL.
GAVIA ALBA.
Cuar. Entire plumage white ; bill yellow, shading to greenish gray at
the base; legs and feet black. Length 18 inches.
In immature birds the upper parts are more or less spotled with
brownish gray ; wings and tail tipped with dusky brown; bill black.
Nest. On a sea-beach or high cliff, — a slight depression in the soil,
sparsely lined with grass or moss, sometimes made of moss and sea-weed,
with a thin lining of down and feathers.
£ges. 1-2; pale to dark buff, more or less tinted with olive, some-
times olive drab, marked with several shades of brown and lilac; aver-
age size about 2.40 X 1.70.
This beautiful species, called sometimes the Snow Bird, from
the pure whiteness of its plumage, is found in great numbers
on the coasts of Spitzbergen, Greenland, Davis’s Straits, on
Baffin’s Bay, and on various parts of the northern shores of the
IVORY GULL. 245
American continent. It seldom migrates far from its natal
regions, is a pretty constant attendant on the whale-fishers,
and preys on blubber, dead whales, and other carrion. Dr.
Richardson observed it breeding in great numbers on the high
broken cliffs which form the extremity of Cape Parry, in lati-
tude 70°. It is also found on the Pacific coast as far as
Nootka Sound, and commonly wanders far out to sea, seldom
approaching the land but during the period of incubation. Its
only note consists of a loud and disagreeable scream.
This Gull has been seen but seldom on the American shore of
the Atlantic south of Greenland, and Mr. Hagerup considers it a
rare bird in the southern portion of that country, though it is said
to occur regularly at Labrador and Newfoundland. Mr. Boardman
reports that two examples have been sent to him from Grand
Menan, and in the winter of 1880 I examined a freshly killed Gull
that a “boatman” told me he had shot the day before off the
harbor of St. John. The skin was identified at the Smithsonian
Institution as an immature Ivory Gull. On the English coast this
species is more frequently seen, and examples have been taken in
France and Switzerland; but it is only a straggler outside the
Arctic Circle. The species is circumpolar in its range, but breeds
in greatest abundance on the islands which lie to the northward of
Europe.
The Ivory Gulls appear to spend most of the time amid the pack-
ice, often at a long distance from the land. They are ravenous
feeders, and omnivorous in their diet, refusing nothing. Small
rodents and shell-fish are alike fair game to these gluttons, and
they feast with apparent relish on putrid blubber, or even seals’
excrement. The cry is said to be a loud and disagreeable
scream.
HERRING GULL.
LARUS ARGENTATUS SMITHSONIANUS.
CHAR. Mantle deep pearl gray; head, tail, and under parts white ;
outer wing-feathers mostly black, tipped with white; bill yellow, with a
bar of red at the angle; legs and feet flesh color. Length about 24
inches.
In winter the head and neck are streaked with gray. Immature birds
are mottled brownish gray and dull white; wings dusky ; tail dusky or
gray, with a subterminal bar of dusky; bill blackish. In younger speci-
mens the dark tints prevail, some being almost uniformly dusky brown.
They do not acquire full plumage for four or five years.
Vest. Usually on a cliff, often on a beach or grassy island, some-
times in a tree or under shelter of a bush, — generally a slight affair, a
thin mat of loosely arranged grass or moss; though nests placed in
trees are bulky and compact.
£ggs. 2-3 (usually 3); pale to dark buff, more or less tinged with
green, sometimes nearly olive drab; marked with several shades of
brown and lavender; average size about 2.85 X 1.95.
The Herring Gull is common to the milder as well as cold
countries of both continents. It is seen sometimes on the
HERRING GULL. 247
borders of lakes and rivers, though these visitors are chiefly
the young.
Mr. Audubon found these birds breeding abundantly on
Grand Menan Island, in the Bay of Fundy, on low fir-trees as
well as on the ground, the nest being large and loose, com-
posed of sea-weeds, roots, sticks, and feathers. They are very
resentful and clamorous when approached, screaming or bark-
ing with a sound like aak kakak. This Gull also inhabits other
islands, and he found it again in Labrador. It is ravenous, and
tyrannical to other small birds. The young and the eggs are
considered as palatable food, though the principal food of the
bird is fish or floating matter.
This is the Common Gull of our harbors and inland lakes, oc-
curring in abundance throughout this continent, and breeding from
latitude 45° northward. Turner found it abundant on Hudson
Straits, but Hagerup saw very few examples in Southern Greenland.
In winter these birds are seen in numbers on the Great Lakes and
the larger rivers and lakes of the interior, as well as along the sea-
coast from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Cuba.
Mr. Chapman considers “this species is by far the most abun-
dant winter Gull along the coast of the Middle and Southern
States.”
Although Herring Gulls appear at times both shy and fierce, they
are easily domesticated if taken young, and make pleasant pets.
They thrive on a mixed diet, and feast on cold porridge or dead rat
with equal relish.
Their formula for disposing of a rat is unique. First break the
rat’s bones by crunching them with the bill; then dip the carcase
in water, and when thoroughly soaked, swallow it whole, — head
first.
Note. — The European form of the HERRING GULL (ZL. argen-
tatus) is said to occur occasionally on this side of the Atlantic.
SV RE Nt
SS eh
GLAUCOUS GULL.
BURGOMASTER.
LaRUS GLAUCUS.
CuHar. Mantle pale pearl gray, rest of plumage white ; bill yellow, with
a patch of orange at the angle; legs and feet bright pink. Length about
32 inches ; female somewhat smaller.
In winter the head and neck are streaked with pale brownish gray.
Immature birds are mottled grayish brown and pale gray; the first
plumage is the darkest. In the spring, before the young assume the pearl
mantle, their entire plumage becomes white.
Vest. Usually on a cliff, sometimes on a low, grassy island or sandy
beach; a slight affair of sea-weed or moss or grass.
Eggs. 2-3; stone drab or olive buff, sometimes pale buff, marked with
brown and ashy gray; average size about 3.00 X 2.00.
GLAUCOUS GULL. 249
This large species is almost wholly confined to the hyper-
boreal regions, where it inhabits both continents indifferently,
It is common in Russia, Greenland, and in all the Arctic and
polar seas. In Baffin’s Bay and the adjoining straits and coasts
it is seen in considerable numbers during the summer. Its
winter resorts are yet unknown. From its great rarity in the
United States it is probable that this Gull mav not migrate far
from its summer residence, as there can be no reason why it
should proceed south along the Pacific in preference to the
Atlantic coast.
These birds are almost continually on the wing, uttering
often a hoarse cry, like the Raven. They are extremely tyran-
nical, greedy, and voracious, preying not only on fish and
small birds, but also on carrion, and are said to attend on
the walrus to feed on its excrement. They wrest prey from
weaker birds, and are often seen hovering in the air or seated
on some lofty pinnacle of ice, whence, having fixed their eye
upon some favorite morsel, they dart down on the possessor,
which, whether Fulmar, Guillemot, or Kittiwake, must instantly
resign the prize. The Auk, as well as the young Penguin, they
not only rob, but often wholly devour. Pressed by hunger, they
sometimes even condescend to share the crow-berry with the
Ptarmigan. When not impelled by hunger, they are rather
shy and inactive birds, and much less clamorous than others of
the genus.
This species is rather boreal in its range, breeding chiefly in the
Arctic Ocean, though Mr. Chapman gives its breeding area as
“from southern Labrador northward.” Farther south it is a
straggler merely, though in the Bay of Fundy it is sometimes quite
common in mid-winter, and examples have been seen along the
New England shores and southward to Long Island and on the
Great Lakes.
Nuttall has put into the few lines given above all the peculiar
habits of the bird, which combine with some Gull-like traits many
of the coarse characteristics of both the Falcon and Vulture.
Some observers have reported that the flocks are at times very
noisy, particularly when settling for the night; but those I have
met with in winter have been rather silent. Their cry is harsh, and
at times very loud; it sounds something like the syllables kuk-lak',
— I have seen it written cut-leek.
we
50 SWIMMERS,
ICELAND GULL.
WHITE-WINGED GULL.
» LARUS LEUCOPTERUS.
CuaR. Mantle pale pearl gray, rest of plumage white; bill yellow,
with a patch of orange at the angle; legs and feet bright pink. Length
about 25 inches, the female smaller. In winter the head and neck are
streaked with pale brownish gray. Young birds are mottled grayish
brown and pale gray, and become whiter with each moult.
Vest. Ona cliff or sandy beach; when in the sand, it isa mere depres-
sion slightly lined with grass, but when a rock is chosen for the site a
compact structure is formed of sea-weed and grass lined with moss.
Legs. 2-3; pale or dark buff more or less tinged with green, some-
times almost olive drab; average size about 2.75 X 1.80.
Iceland Gull is a misnomer for this bird, as it appears in Iceland
in winter only, and then in very small numbers. The true home of
this Gull is in that portion of the Arctic Ocean which lies north of
America, and its breeding area extends from Greenland to Alaska;
elsewhere it is but a visitor.
During the winter these birds range along the Atlantic shores
from Labrador to Long Island, though they are not numerous south
of the Bay of Fundy. A few examples have been taken on the
Great Lakes.
In appearance this species is a small edition of the Glaucous
Gull, there being no perceptible difference in the coloration; but
their habits are quite different.
The flight of the Iceland Gull, its feeding habits, and its manners
generally, suggest a close affinity to the Herring Gull rather than to
the Burgomaster.
KUMLIEN’S GULL. 251
KUMLIEN’S GULL.
LARUS KUMLIENI.
Cuar. Mantle and wings pearl gray ; wings tipped with white, the
outer primaries having a sub-terminal space of ashy gray; bill yellow,
with a spot of red at the angle ; legs and feet bright pink. Length about
24 inches.
Immature birds are more or less moctled with dusky or brownish gray,
very young specimens being very dark.
Nest. Ona cliff.
Eggs. Not known.
This species was described in 1883 by Mr. William Brewster
from specimens that had been taken in winter in the Bay of Fundy.
Kumlien found the bird breeding in numbers on the shores of
Cumberland Gulf; but it is not known to breed in Greenland, nor
have nests been discovered elsewhere. In the second edition of the
A. O. U. “ Check-List ” the distribution of this species is given thus:
“North Atlantic coast of North America, breeding in Cumber-
land Gulf; south in winter to the coasts of the Middle States.”
Of the bird’s distribution and of its distinctive habits nothing
farther is known.
In coloration this species is a connecting link between /eucopterus
and argentatus.
NotTe.— The SIBERIAN GULL (Larus affinis) occasionally
visits Greenland.
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.
SADDLE-BACK. COBB.
LARUS MARINUS.
Cuar. Mantle slaty brown; outer wing-feathers more or less black,
tipped with white ; rest of plumage white ; bill yellow, red at the angle,
legs and feet pink. Length about 30 inches
The full plumage is not assumed until the fourth year Immature
birds are mottled brown and white, very young specimens having the
upper parts almost entirely brown, and the bill dusky.
Nest. Onan inaccessible cliff by the sea, or upon a rocky island in a
lake, —a mere depression in the turf, lined with grass or sea-weed ; some-
times a bulky affair made of coarse herbage and lined with grass and a
few feathers.
Eges. 2-3 (usually 3); buffish gray to deep buff, sometimes slightly
tinged with olive, boldly blotched with brown and gray; average size
abnut 300 X 2.10.
The Saddle-back, or Black-backed Gull, is a general denizen
of the whole northern hemisphere, and extends its residence in
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 253
America as far as Paraguay. At the approach of winter it
migrates not uncommonly as far as the sea-coasts of the Mid-
dle and extreme Southern States. If Mr. Audubon be correct
in considering Z. avgentatoides as a state of imperfect plu-
mage of the present species, it breeds as far north as the dreary
coasts of Melville Peninsula. It is also found in Greenland,
Iceland, Lapmark, and the White Sea. It is also abundant in
the Orkneys and Hebrides in Scotland, but is a winter bird of
passage on the coasts of Holland, France, and England. It
rarely visits the interior or fresh waters, and is but seldom seen
as far south as the Mediterranean.
The Black-backed Gull feeds ordinarily upon fish, both dead
and living, as well as on fry and carrion, — sometimes also on
shell-fish ; and, like’ most of the tribe of larger Gulls, it is
extremely ravenous and indiscriminate in its appetites when
pressed by hunger. It watches the bait of the fisherman, and
often robs the hook of its game. As Mr. Audubon justly and
strongly remarks, it is as much the tyrant of the sea-fowl as the
Eagle is of the land-birds. It is always on the watch to gratify
its insatiable appetite ; powerfully muscular in body and wing,
it commands without control over the inhabitants of the ocean
and its borders. Its flight is majestic, and, like the Raven, it
soars in wide circles to a great elevation, at which times its
loud and raucous cry or laughing bark of ’cak, ’cak, ’cak is
often heard. Like the keen-eyed Eagle, it is extremely shy
and wary, most difficult of access, and rarely obtained but by
accident or stratagem. It is the particular enemy of the grace-
ful Eider, pouncing upon and devouring its young on every
occasion, and often kills considerable-sized Ducks. In pur-
suit of crabs or lobsters it plunges beneath the water; has the
ingenuity to pick up a shell-fish, and carrying it high in the
air, drops it upon a rock to obtain its contents; it catches
moles, rats, young hares; gives chase to the Willow Grouse,
and sucks her eggs or devours her callow brood ; it is even so
indiscriminate in its ravenous and cannibal cravings as to devour
the eggs of its own species. In short, it has no mercy on any
object that can contribute in any way to allay the cravings of
254 SWIMMERS.
its insatiable hunger and delight in carnage. Though cowardly
towards man, before whom it abandons its young, its sway
among the feathered tribes is so fierce that even the different
species of Zes¢vzs, themselves daring pirates, give way at its
approach,
In Europe the Saddle-backed Gulls breed as far south as the
Lundy Islands in the Bristol Channel, in England. Mr. Audu-
bon, who lately visited the dreary coast of Labrador, found
them breeding there on rocks, laying about three eggs, large, and
of a dirty dull brown, spotted and splashed all over with dark
brown. The young as soon as hatched walk about among the
rocks, patiently waiting the return of their parents, who supply
them amply with food until they become able to fly, after
which, as among the true rapacious birds, they are driven off
and abandoned to their own resources.
This species, like others, does not attain its complete plu-
mage until the third year. The full-plumaged are dark-colored
birds, breeding together. The eggs and young are eatable ;
the latter, taken before they are able to fly, are pickled in large
quantities, and used in Newfoundland for winter provision.
The Saddle-back breeds from the Bay of Fundy to high latitudes,
and in winter is found along the coast from Greenland to Long
Island, and occasionally to Virginia and South Carolina. A few
examples visit the Great Lakes. It is not frequently seen in the
harbors of New England, but on the open sea-shore is quite
common.
Mr. Brewster reports that these birds have “ four distinct cries:
a braying ka-ha-ha, a deep keow, keow, a short barking note, and
a long-drawn groan, very loud and decidedly impressive.”
SKUA.
PARASITIC GULL.
MEGALESTRIS SKUA.
Cuar. Upper parts sooty brown, varied with reddish brown and dull
white, the nape spotted with buff; wings and tail brown, shading to
white at the base, which on the wing forms a conspicuous patch when in
flight ; under parts paler brown, the breast varied with rufous, bill, legs,
and feet, black. Length about 22 inches.
Nest. On an inaccessible ocean island; a hollow pressed in the moss
and sparsely lined with grass and a few feathers.
Lggs. 1-3 (usually 2); pale to dark buff or buffish brown, sometimes
with a slight tinge of olive, marked with darker brown and gray; average
size about 2.80 X 2.00.
This Sea-Falcon, with raptorial beak and claws, and Hawk-like
quality of character, — preying upon the weak and the small of its
own race, robbing those it cannot kill, and by way of individuality
adding to its relish for flesh and fish a partiality for eggs, — this
256 SWIMMERS,
pirate of the main, daring and strong, and wary as bold, has too
slight claim for recognition here to demand an extended notice.
These birds live as solitary as Eagles, but defend their nests as
few Eagles dare, attacking fiercely man or dog venturing to ap-
proach, and displaying a front that few dogs care to close upon.
The nests are built chiefly within the Arctic Circle and in northern
Europe, and the birds visit our waters only in winter, and but rarely
then; and the few examples that do wander this way are never seen
near the shore, but are met with by the fishermen, whose boats they
follow for the refuse.
In the A. O. U. Check-List the statement is made that the bird
is “apparently rare on the coast of North America,” and North
Carolina is given as the southern limit of its range. Mr. Chapman
reports that there is “one record” of the bird having been cap-
tured on the shore of Long Island. :
POMARINE JAEGER.
STERCORARIUS POMARINUS.
Cuar. Light phase: Top of head and upper parts sooty brown or
dusky; neck and under parts white, the neck tinged with yellow. Dark
phase: Entirely dark sooty brown or slaty black; the two middle tail-
feathers project beyond the other and are twisted. Bill dark gray,
tipped with black ; legs and feet black. Length about 21 inches.
Some naturalists think the dark phase assumed by this genus is merely
melanistic; but numerous examples are met with that combine variations
of the two, these “ pied’ forms being in the majority rather than excep-
tional. Young birds are more or less mottled with buff.
Nest. On a dry knoll of a moorland marsh or tundra, sometimes on
a rock, —a mere hollow stamped in the moss.
Eggs. 2; pale to dark olive, tinged with russet and boldly marked
with brown; average size 2.35 X 1.65.
VOL. Il. — 17
258 SWIMMERS.
This species chiefly inhabits the Arctic seas of both conti-
nents, whence it migrates short distances in winter, and is then
seen in Sweden and Norway, and perhaps also in the Orkneys
and the west of Scotland; the old very rarely visit the banks
of the Rhine and the coasts of the ocean; the young are more
given to wandering, and are sometimes even seen upon the
lakes of Switzerland and Germany. According to Richardson,
the Pomarine Jaeger is seen in the Arctic seas of America and
about the northern outlets of Hudson Bay. Mr. Audubon ob-
tained specimens on the coast of Labrador. It subsists on
putrid and other animal substances thrown up by the sea, and
also on fish and other matters which the Gulls disgorge when
pursued by it; it also devours the eggs of sea-birds. It goes
more to sea in winter, and also towards the south, arriving at
Hudson Bay in May, coming in from seaward. It is rare and
accidental on the coast of the United States.
This ocean prowler and parasite breeds in the Arctic regions,
and in winter roams on the open sea, wandering from the latitude
of New York southward. It occurs occasionally in the Bay or
Fundy, and a few examples have been taken on the Great Lakes.
PARASITIC JAEGER.
ARCTIC JAEGER. RICHARDSON’S JAEGER. MAN-OF-WAR.
STERCORARIUS PARASITICUS.
Cuar. Light phase: Upper parts slaty brown; top of head grayish
brown; rest of head and neck white, varied with yellow; under parts
white. Dark phase: Entire plumage sooty slate. Shafts of primaries
white; middle tail-feathers Jong, narrow, and pointed; bill slaty gray
tipped with black; legs and feet black. Length about 20 inches.
Young birds of both phases are mottled and more or less varied with
buff., Adults also are met with in a mixed plumage, and these mottled
specimens are much more numerous than birds in full plumage.
Nest. Onan open moorland near the sea or the margin of a lake, or
upon an ocean island, —a mere hollow in the mossy turf, slightly lined
with grass and leaves.
£ges. 1-3 (usually 2); olive green, sometimes deeply tinged with yel-
low or reddish brown, marked with brown of several shades and lilac;
average size about 2.30 X 1.60.
LONG-TAILED JAEGER. 259
This species has been incorrectly named the Arctic Jaeger, — or
Skua, as the birds of this group are called by British Ornitholo-
gists, — for it is less Arctic in its distribution than either of its rela-
tives. All this group breed in high latitudes; but while the other
species build within the Arctic Circle, the Parasitic Jaeger nests in
numbers in Southern Greenland and throughout the higher portions
of the fur countries, and nests have been found in Scotland. In
winter this bird is common along the coast, ranging from Long
Island to Brazil.
The Jaegers are ‘very similar in their habits. All are strong birds,
of swift and skilful flight, and all obtain their chief food supply by
robbing the Gulls of their prey.
The Kittiwake is the victim most frequently selected by the
Parasitic Jaeger, and the little Gull has small chance for escape
from its more powerful antagonist, who pursues and attacks until
the coveted fish is dropped. But our bird does not limit its diet
to fish,— young Gulls and eggs are quite as acceptable to the
Jaeger’s palate, —nor does it refuse any carrion the drift may
offer, and in extremity will feast on crow-berries.
LONG-TAILED JAEGER.
BUFFON’S SKUA.
STERCORARIUS LONGICAUDUS.
Cuar. Upper parts dark brownish slate, shading to darker on wings
and tail; top of head sooty black; rest of head and neck buffish yellow,
paler on the throat ; breast white, shading into the grayish brown of the
belly ; shafts of two outer primaries white ; middle tail-feathers narrow
and pointed, and extending four to eight inches beyond the lateral feath-
ers; bill grayish black; legs olive gray, feet black. Length about 23
c- birds are grayish brown, more or less barred with white and
buff. Distinguished from arcticus by its rather smaller and slimmer
form and the greater length, wswadly, of the central tail-feathers, also by
the grayer tints of the back and the absence of white on all the primaries
excepting the outer two.
Nest. Ina colony on a barren moorland or tundra near the sea, or by
an inland lake or upon an island, —a slight hollow stamped in the turf or
soil and lined with a few bits of grass or leaves. : :
Eggs. 1-3 (usually 2); pale to dark olive, sometimes reddish buff,
marked with brown and gray ; average size about 2.10 X 1.50.
260 © SWIMMERS.
This is the most northerly in its range of the Jaegers, and has
the widest distribution. Its breeding area lies exclusively within
the Arctic Circle, and follows that line throughout its circuit. These
birds appear off the New England coasts during the spring and
fall, and at those seasons are common in the Bay of Fundy. They
winter southward as far as the Gulf of Mexico.
In its habits the Long-tailed Jaeger does not differ materially
from the other species.
BLACK SKIMMER.
SCISSOR-BILL,
RYNCHOPS NIGRA.
CuHaR. Upper parts black, deeper on the wings; outer tail-feathers
white ; forehead, patch on the wings, and under parts white; bill long
and compressed, the lower mandible much longer than the upper; basal
half of bill bright red, the rest black ; legs and feet red. Length 17 to 19
inches.
Vest. A slight hollow scratched in the sand of a sea-beach or barren
island.
£ges. 2-5; creamy white or pale buff boldly marked with rich brown
and lilac; average size about 1.75 X 1.35.
The Cut-water, or Black Skimmer, is a bird of passage in
the United States, appearing in New Jersey from its tropical
winter quarters early in May. Here it resides, and breeds in
its favorite haunts along the low sand-bars and dry flats of the
strand, in the immediate vicinity of the ocean. The nests of
these birds have been found along the shores of Cape May
about the beginning of June, and consist of a mere hollow
scratched out in the sand, without the addition of any extrane-
ous materials. As the birds, like the Terns and Gulls, to which
they are allied, remain gregarious through the breeding-season,
it is possible to collect a half bushel or more of the eggs from
a single sand-bar within the compass of half an acre; and
though not very palatable, they are still eaten by the inhabi-
tants of the coast. The female only sits on her nest during
the night or in wet and stormy weather; but the young
BLACK SKIMMER, 261
remain for several weeks before they acquire the full use of
their wings, and are during that period assiduously fed by both
parents. At first they are scarcely distinguishable from the
sand by the similarity of their color, and during this period
may often be seen basking in the sun and spreading out their
wings upon the warm beach. The pair, retiring to the South
in September or as soon as their young are prepared for their
voyage, raise but a single brood in the season.
The Skimmer is, I believe, unknown to the north of the sea-
coast of New Jersey, and probably passes the period of repro-
duction along the whole of the southern coast of the United
States. The species is also met with in the equatorial regions,
where it is alike resident as far as Surinam, but never pene-
trates into the interior, being, properly speaking, an oceanic
genus. Its voice, like that of the Tern, is loud, harsh, and
stridulous. In quest of its usual prey of small fish and mol-
lusca, it is frequently observed skimming close along shore
about the first of the flood tide, proceeding leisurely with a
slowly flapping flight, and balancing itself on its long and out-
stretched wings; it is seen every now and then to dip, with
bended neck, its lower mandible into the sea, and with open
mouth receives its food, thus gleaning and ploughing along the
yielding surface of the prolific deep. The birds keep also
among the sheltered inlets which intervene between the main-
land and the sea, where they roam about in companies of
eight or ten together, passing and repassing at the flood tide,
like so many grotesque and gigantic Swallows, the estuaries of
the creeks and inlets which penetrate into the salt-marshes,
exhibiting the necessary alertness in the capture of their
approaching prey, which often consists of small crabs and the
more minute crustaceous animals which abound in such situa-
tions, and around the masses of floating sea-weed and wrecks.
But though so exclusively maritime, the range of the Cut-
waters is entirely limited to the peaceful and calm borders of
the strand ; notwithstanding the vast expansion of their long
wings, they have no inducement to follow the adventurous
flight of the Petrel, as the ever-agitated and wave-tossed sur-
262 SWIMMERS.
face of the restless deep would be to them, with the peculiar
mechanism of their bill, a barren void over which they conse-
quently never roam, and on whose bosom they rarely ever rest,
preferring, with the Terns, when satisfied with food, the calm,
indolent, and surer repose of the isolated shoal left bare by
the recess of the tide, where, associated in flocks, they are often
seen to rest from their toilsome and precarious employ.
The Skimmer continues to this day to make its nest on the
sands of the New Jersey shore, and thence southward, and is rather
common on the coast of Virginia and Florida. Fishermen have
reported that Skimmers nested on Muskegat many years; but they
have ceased coming so far north regularly, though occasionally,
after the breeding season is over, an individual makes an excursion
along the New England shore, and several have been seen in the
Bay of Fundy.
LEACH’S PETREL.
FORK-TAILED PETREL.
OCEANODROMA LEUCORHOA.
Cuar. Upper parts dull black ; upper tail-coverts white ; tail forked;
under parts sooty black; bill, legs, and feet black. Length about &
inches.
Nest. A thin cushion of grass or moss at the end of a burrow in the
soil at the top of an ocean cliff.
£ggs. 1, white, marked chiefly around the larger end with fine spots
of reddish brown and lilac; average size about 1.30 X 1.00.
This is a bird of the northern hemisphere, being as common on
the Pacific Ocean as on the Atlantic. Its chief breeding-station
on our shores is among the islands at the mouth of the Bay of
Fundy; but the open ocean is the bird’s true home.
Leach’s Petrels are seldom seen about their nesting site during
the day, though in the evening they assemble there; and when
fluttering through the twilight or under the moon’s guidance, they
have the appearance of a foraging squad of bats, though the bird’s
wild, plaintive notes betray their race. The Petrels are not strictly
nocturnal, however; for while one of a pair sits close on the nest
all day, — and this one has been generally the male, in my experi-
ence, — the mate is out at sea.
When handled, these birds emit from mouth and nostrils a small
quantity of oil-like fluid of a reddish color and pungent, musk-like
264 SWIMMERS,
odor. The air at the nesting site is strongly impregnated with this
odor, and it guides a searcher to the nest.
Petrels appear very helpless on the land, walking or rising on
the wing with difficulty; but in the air they are as graceful as swal-
lows, and fly with equal skill. A storm is their delight, and the
trough between white-capped waves a favorite feeding place, The
birds skim close to the water, and continually dip their feet into it
as they fly.
WILSON’S PETREL.
OCEANITES OCEANICUS.
Cuar. General plumage sooty black, darker on wings and tail; tail-
coverts white; tail square; bill and legs black; webs of the feet yellow
at their bases. Length about 7% inches.
Nest. In crevices of rocks or amid loose fragments.
Eggs. 1; white, marked chiefly around the larger end with fine spots
of purplish red; average size about 1.30 X 0.90.
This ominous harbinger of the deep is seen nearly through-
out the whole expanse of the Atlantic, from Newfoundland to
the tropical parts of America, whence it wanders even to
Africa and the coasts of Spain. From the ignorance and
superstition of mariners, an unfavorable prejudice has long
been entertained against these adventurous and harmless wan-
derers ; and as sinister messengers of the storm, in which they
are often involved with the vessel they follow, they have been
very unjustly stigmatized by the name of Stormy Petrels,
Devil’s Birds, and Mother Carey’s Chickens. At nearly all
seasons of the year these Swallow-Petrels in small flocks are
seen wandering almost alone over the wide waste of the
ocean.
On the edge of soundings, as the vessel loses sight of the
distant headland and launches into the depths of the un-
bounded and fearful abyss of waters, flocks of these dark, swift-
flying, and ominous birds begin to shoot around the vessel, and
finally take their station in her foaming wake. In this situa-
tion, as humble dependants, they follow for their pittance of
fare, constantly and keenly watching the agitated surge for
PI XVIL.
1. Brant. 3.Roseate Tern.
2. Wilson's Petrel . 4 Ganada Goose.
WILSON’S PETREL. 265
floating mollusca, and are extremely gratified with any kind of
fat animal matter thrown overboard, which they invariably dis-
cover, however small the morsel, or mountainous and foaming
the raging wave on which it may happen to float. On making
such discovery they suddenly stop in their airy and swallow-
like flight, and whirl instantly down to the water. Sometimes
nine or ten thus crowd together like a flock of chickens
scrambling for the same morsel; at the same time, pattering
on the water with their feet, as if walking on the surface, they
balance themselves with gently fluttering and outspread
wings, and often dip down their heads to collect the sinking
object in pursuit. On other occasions, as if seeking relief from
their almost perpetual exercise of flight, they jerk and hop
widely over the water, rebounding, as their feet touch the sur-
face, with great agility and alertness.
There is something cheerful and amusing in the sight of
these little voyaging flocks steadily following after the vessel,
so light and unconcerned, across the dreary ocean. During a
gale it is truly interesting to witness their intrepidity and ad-
dress. Unappalled by the storm that ‘strikes terror into the
breast of the mariner, they are seen coursing wildly and rapidly
over the waves ; descending their sides, then mounting with the
breaking surge which threatens to burst over their heads,
sweeping through the hollow waves as in a sheltered valley,
and again mounting with the rising billow, they trip and jerk
sportively and securely on the surface of the roughest sea,
defying the horrors of the storm, and, like some magic being,
seem fo take delight in braving overwhelming dangers. At
other times we see these aérial mariners playfully coursing
from side to side in the wake of the ship, making excursions
far and wide on every side, now in advance, then far behind,
returning again to the vessel as if she were stationary, though
moving at the most rapid rate. A little after dark they gener-
ally cease their arduous course and take their interrupted rest
upon the water, arriving in the wake of the vessel they had
left, as I have observed, by about nine or ten o’clock of the
following morning. In this way we were followed by the same
266 SWIMMERS.
flock of birds to the soundings of the Azores, and until we
came in sight of the Isle of Flores.
According to Buffon, the Petrel acquires its name from the
Apostle Peter, who, as well as his Master, is said to have walked
upon the water. At times we hear from these otherwise silent
birds by day, a low wee, wee/, and in their craving anxiety ap-
parently to obtain something from us, they utter a low, twitter-
ing 'fe-2p, or chirp. In the night, when disturbed by the passage
of the vessel, they rise in a low, vague, and hurried flight from
the water, and utter a singular guttural chattering like 2k kuk
Rk, kk, or something similar, ending usually in a sort of low
twitter like that of a Swallow.
These Petrels are said to breed in great numbers on the
rocky shores of the Bahama and the Bermuda Islands and
along some parts of the coast of East Florida and Cuba. Mr.
Audubon informs me that they also breed in large flocks on
the mud and sand islands off Cape Sable in Nova Scotia, bur-
rowing downwards from the surface to the depth of a foot or
more. They also commonly employ the holes and cavities of
rocks near the sea for this purpose. The eggs, according to
Mr. Audubon, are three, white and translucent. After the
period of incubation they return to feed their young, only dur-
ing the night, with the oily food which they raise from their
stomachs. At these times they are heard through most part
of the night making a continued cluttering sound, like frogs.
In June and July, or about the time that they breed, they are
still seen out at sea for scores of leagues from the land, the
swiftness of their flight allowing them daily to make these vast
excursions in quest of their ordinary prey; and hence, besides
their suspicious appearance in braving storms, as if aided by
the dark Ruler of the Air, they breed, according to the vulgar
opinion of sailors, like no other honest bird; for taking no
time for the purpose on land, they merely hatch their egg
under their wings as they sit on the water.
The food of this species, according to Wilson, appears to
consist of the gelatinous spora of the gulf-weed (Fucus na-
tans), as well as small fish, barnacles, and probably many
STORMY PETREL. 267
small mollusca. Their flesh is rank, oily, and unpleasant
to the taste. Their food is even converted into oil by the
digestive process, and they abound with it to such a degree
that, according to Brunnich, the mhabitants of the Faro Isles
make their carcases serve the purpose of a candle by draw-
ing a wick through the mouth and rump, which being lighted,
the flame is for a considerable time supported by the fat and
oil of the body.
Audubon led Nuttall astray regarding the breeding of Wilson’s
Petrel, confounding it with Leach’s Petrel. The nesting-place of
the present species and the appearance of the egg were unknown
until a few years ago, when the members of the Transit of Venus
Expedition discovered a colony of the birds on Kerguelen Island,
in the Southern Ocean, and brought back some of the eggs, which
were taken during January and February.
Wilson’s Petrel, therefore, would have little reason upon which
to rest a claim to be ranked as an “ American” bird, were it not
for the “three mile-limit’’ clause in international law. These
birds come towards the shore and into the harbors and creeks in
search of food. During the summer they are met with all along
our coast, from northern Labrador to the tropics.
STORMY PETREL.
MOTHER CAREY’S CHICKEN.
PROCELLARIA PELAGICA.
Cuar. General plumage sooty black or blackish brown; upper tail
feathers white, tipped with black ; tail square or slightly rounded; bill,
legs, and feet black. Length about 534 inches.
Nest Usually in a burrow, sometimes in a crevice of a rock or amid
loose stones ; generally a thin cushion of weed-stems or grass, but often
the egg is laid on the bare soil.
Eggs. 1; white, faintly marked with fine spots of reddish brown ; aver-
age size 1.15 X 0.85.
Of the three species of Swallow-like Petrels that are seen regu-
larly on the North Atlantic, the present is the rarest; and this is
seldom seen near the shore, and never south of New England. It
breeds abundantly on the British Islands and along the coast of
Norway, and is said to breed in the Mediterranean Sea, on the
268 SWIMMERS.
African coast. In winter it wanders south to the Azores and
Canaries.
The Stormy Petrel, or Least Petrel, as it was formerly called, is
the smallest of the web-footed birds, and on the wing has something
of the appearance of a Barn Swallow. It has completely webbed
feet, and can swim with ease, but is very seldom seen upon the
surface of the water, though it has a curious habit of skimming close
to the surface and paddling the water with its feet, whence is said
to have originated the name of Petrel, or “ Little Peter.” The bird
is rarely seen walking on the land, though it can walk with ease
and is rather graceful; but the head and body are carried so far
in advance of the feet as to make the Petrel appear unsteady.
Like others of this group, the Stormy Petrel does not often appear
about its nesting site during the day, and those examples that have
been captured alive have shown so little inclination to display any
activity before the approach of sunset that the species has been
considered nocturnal; but those that are met with on the open
ocean are busily engaged gleaning food through all hours of the
day.
This is arather silent bird, and its notes are heard only when the
bird is on or near the nest. Hewitson tells of being guided to the
nests by the “singing” of the parents, which he describes as
resembling the chatter of Swallows.
The name of Mother Carey’s Chicken, thought by some philolo-
gists to be a corruption of Mater cara, was originally applied
to this species by seamen, but it is now applied to all the small
Petrels.
Sailors fancy that the appearance of these birds is an evil omen
and foretells a storm,— which is partly true, for they revel in a
storm and seek it. The Petrels have no dread of winds or waves,
and find their harvest amid the tumult, fearlessly gleaning their
food from the curling seas.
Notre. — Examples of several species of Petrel occasionally
wander into our waters from their customary cruising area. These
are the BLACK-CAPPED PETREL (4strelata hasitata), from the
tropics; PEALE’S PETREL (“strelata gularis), from the Antarc-
tic; BULWER’s PETREL (Bulweria bu/wert), from the eastern side
of the Atlantic; WHITE-BELLIED PETREL (Cymodroma grallaria),
from the tropics; WHITE-FACED PETREL (Pelagodroma marina),
from the Southern Ocean,
FULMAR.
WHITE HAGDON. NODDY.
FULMARIS GLACIALIS.
Cuar. Mantle and tail bluish gray; wings dusky; head, neck, and
under parts white ; bill greenish yellow; legs and feet pale flesh-color.
Length about 19 inches. Numerous examples, supposed to be immature
birds, have the white portions clouded with gray, and the mantle tinged
with brown.
West. A deep hollow scratched in the soil ona grassy shelf of a cliff;
sometimes on a bare rock, —usually a thin cushion of grass or moss ;
often the egg is laid on the soil.
Lge. 1; white, with a rough, chalk-like surface, sometimes with a few
Spots of reddish brown; average size 2.90 X 2.00.
Surrounded by an eternal winter, the Fulmars dwell nearly
at all seasons of the year upon the Arctic seas. Harbingers
of storm and danger, they choose the wildest and most deso-
late of regions, where, congregating amidst the floating ice, they
270 SWIMMERS.
seek out the resorts of the whale, on whose carcase and those
of other cetaceous animals they often make a gratifying feast,
and are well known to the whale-fishers who frequent these
hyperboreal seas. ‘They attend the ships in all their progress.
Emphatically birds of the tempest, these Petrels ride securely
amidst its hcrrors, profiting by the agitation and destruction
which it spreads around. Aware of the object which the
whaler has in quest, they follow the vessel and watch the
result. As soon as a whale is moored to the side of the ship
and begins to be cut up, an immense muster takes place,
sometimes exceeding a thousand, of these greedy birds, all
stationed in the rear, watching for the morsels which are wafted
to leeward. The peculiar chuckling note by which they ex-
press their eager expectation, their voracity when seizing on
the fat, and the large pieces which they swallow, the envy
shown towards those who have obtained the largest of these
morsels, and often the violent measures taken to wrest it from
them, afford to the sailors curious and amusing spectacles.
The surface of the sea is sometimes so covered with them that
a stone cannot be thrown without“one being struck. When an
alarm is given, innumerable wings are instantly in motion, and
the birds, striking their feet against the water to aid their
flight, cause a loud and thundering plash.
The Petrel is not uncommon in some of the islands off the
north of Scotland. At St. Kilda, one of the Hebrides, it
breeds, and supplies the inhabitants with a vast quantity of
oil, which is used for culinary as well as medicinal purposes.
According to Pennant, “no bird is of such use to the islanders
as this; it supplies oil for their lamps, down for their beds, a
delicacy for their tables, a balm for their wounds, and a medi-
cine for their distempers.” He adds “that it is a certain
prognostication of the change of winds. If it come to land,
no west wind is expected’for some time, and the contrary
when it returns and keeps to sea.”
Its food is chiefly fish, particularly those that are the most
fat ; its stomach is indeed generally charged with oil, which it
has the power of ejecting forcibly from the bill and nostrils as
LESSER FULMAR. 271
a mode of defence. It attends the fishing vessels on the
banks of Newfoundland, feeding on the liver and offal of the
cod-fish which is thrown overboard, and is known to the sailors
by the quaint name of John Down. It is also taken by means
of a hook baited in this manner with the offal, and the inhab-
itants of Baffin’s and Hudson’s Bay are said to salt them for
winter provision ; though Pennant, in the “ Arctic Zoology,”
adds that their flesh is rank and fetid in consequence of their
unpleasant food, yet they are still considered as no indifferent
dish by the hungry Greenlanders, and they breed usually about
Disco. Like the birds of the preceding and nearly allied
genus, they nest in holes in the rocks in great companies
at St. Kilda about the middle of June, laying but one large,
white, and brittle egg. The Fulmar is now and then, though
very rarely, seen on the temperate coasts of Europe and the
United States. The feathers are very close and full, clothed
below with a thick and fine down.
Fulmars are common from the Newfoundland banks northward,
and in winter a few stragglers are met with off the New England
coast. This form is not known to breed on the eastern side of the
Atlantic.
LESSER FULMAR.
WHITE HAGDON. NODDY.
FULMARUS GLACIALIS MINOR.
CHAR Similar in coloration to g/acéalis, but smaller. Length aver-
ages about 18 inches. : :
Nest and Eggs. Similar to géacialis, the eggs averaging somewhat
smaller.
Mr. Hagerup thinks it probable that this is the form that breeds
in numbers on the western coast of Greenland north of latitude
69°. In winter a few of these birds are met with off the New
England coast.
The habits of this variety do not differ from those of the type,
and the two forms can be separated only by their size.
GREATER SHEARWATER.
HAGDON.
PUFFINUS MAJOR.
CuHar. Mantle grayish brown, the feathers edged with pale brown;
top of head and nape grayish brown, paler on the neck ; wings and tail
blackish brown; tail-coverts broadly tipped with white; under parts
white, the belly shaded with brownish gray; the white feathers of the
neck separated abruptly from the dark feathers of the crown and nape;
bill brownish black; legs and feet dull yellowish pink, turning to yellow
in dried skins. Length about 19 inches.
Nest and Eggs. Unknown.
The Cinereous Puffin, or Wandering Shearwater, visits every
part of the great Atlantic Ocean, from the banks of Newfound-
land to Senegal and the Cape of Good Hope. It is also com-
GREATER SHEARWATER. 273
mon in the Mediterranean and on the southern coasts of Spain
and Provence, but never proceeds to the Adriatic.
On approaching the banks of Newfoundland, but far west of .
soundings, we see the soaring and wandering Lestris, and every
day the wild Shearwaters, but more particularly in blowing
and squally weather; sometimes also in fine weather we see
them throughout the day. Their course in the air is exceed-
ingly swift and powerful. With their long wings outstretched
and almost motionless, they sweep over the wild waves, fearless
of every danger, flying out in vast curves, watching at the same
time intently for their finny prey. Like the Petrels, these
Shearwaters are often seen to trip upon the water with ex-
tended feet and open wings ; they likewise dive for small fish,
and find an advantage in the storm, whose pellucid mountain
waves bring to view the shiny prey to more advantage, — the
birds are therefore often seen most active at such times, watch-
ing the sweeping billow as it rises and foams along, harassing
and pursuing their quarry with singular address, snatching it
from the surface, or diving after it through the waves, on which
they are often seen to sit, mounting to the sky or sinking into
the yawning abyss of the raging deep.
The Greater Shearwater probably breeds on the islands of the
North Atlantic, though no authentic account of the nest and eggs
has been published. Some eggs received from Greenland, and
supposed by good authorities to be of this species, are described
as white, and averaging about 2.80 X I.9o.
The name Cinereous, applied to this bird by Nuttall, is now
restricted to an allied species, Puginus kuhlit, which breeds on
various islands in the Mediterranean and on the Azores.
Our bird is numerous on the shores of Greenland up to about
latitude 65°, and is quite common off the New England coasts dur-
ing the winter, though usually far away from the shore.
The fishermen call it the “ Hagdon,” in common with others of
the genus and the Fulmar.
In the illustration the Greater Shearwater is represented by the
lower figure; the upper one represents the Sooty Shearwater.
VOL. 1. — 18
274 SWIMMERS.
CORY’S SHEARWATER.
PUFFINUS BOREALIS.
CHAR. Mantle brownish gray, the feathers shading to paler at the
tips; crown and nape brownish gray, the feathcrs on the nape tipped with
white; sides of head and neck mottled white and gray; wings and tail
brownish gray, darker than mantle; under parts white ; bill yellowish at
base, shading to black towards the tip; legs and feet dull orange. Length
about 21 inches.
Nest and Eggs. Unknown.
Cory’s Shearwater was described in 1881 by Mr. Charles B.
Cory from specimens taken off Cape Cod during October, 1880.
Since that date a number of examples have been taken along the
New England coast in September and October, and in the autumn
of 1886 an immense number were seen off the Nantucket islands.
Writing of this flight, Prof. S. F. Baird said: “The Shearwaters
occurred in flocks of perhaps from fifty to two or three hundred,
the bunches being generally found quietly resting on the waters
and feeding, while swimming, upon the herrings that were so abund-
ant in the vicinity. The birds were very tame, but approach to
them could be best made by a steam-launch, which would almost
run over them before they would start to fly. A dozen birds were
killed by the discharge of two guns froma launch. About a hun-
dred specimens were secured, and thousands could easily have
been killed if neccssary.”
This species is not known to differ in its habits from other mem-
bers of the genus, and in appearance is similar to P. major, though
borealis is readily distinguished by its yellow bill, the paler tint
of the brown in the upper parts, and by the absence of a distinct
line of demarcation between the white and dark feathers on the
neck.
Mr. Howard Saunders, a noted English authority on this family
of birds, considers that P. dorealis is identical with P. kuhlit.
AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER. 275
SOOTY SHEARWATER.
BLACK HAGDON.
PUuFFINUS STRICKLANDI.
Cuar. Upper parts dark sooty brown; under parts paler and varied
with grayish; wings and tail dusky or blackish; bill and legs dusky.
Length about 17 inches.
Nest and Eggs. Unknown.
The Black Hagdon of the fishermen — represented by the upper
figure of the illustration on page 272 — is a common bird on the
North Atlantic between Newfoundland and the Carolinas during
the autumn and winter months, though it appears to have escaped
the notice of Nuttall and his contemporaries.
This bird is not known to breed on our shores, nor has any
breeding-place of the species been discovered, though it is very
probable that its nesting habits are similar to those of the Pacific
form, P. griseus, which our bird very closely resembles in appear-
ance, and with which it may be identical, as it is considered by
some British authorities.
Nests of griseus discovered in the South Pacific were placed at
the end of a burrow, which ran horizontally three or four feet, and
then turned to the right or left. The single egg, which was placed
on arude cushion made of twigs and leaves, was of white color,
and measured on the average about 2.60 X 1.70.
AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER.
PUFFINUS AUDUBONI.
Cuar. Upper parts sooty black or dusky, darker on wings and tail;
under parts white; bill lead blue; outside of legs black, inside and webs
yellowish. Length about 11 inches.
Nest. In a crevice of a rock or amid loose fragments of stone,—a
slight affair of loosely arranged twigs.
Egg. 1; white (similar in appearance to oval eggs of the domestic
fowl, but with thinner shell and more highly polished surface); average
size about 2.05 X 1.40.
This species breeds in large numbers on the Bermuda and Ba-
hama Islands and southward, and is seen off the shores of the
mainland, occasionally wandering as far north as Long Island, It
276 SWIMMERS,
is abundant along the eastern side of the Atlantic, and is said to
breed on some of the islands lying off the west coast of Africa.
It is described as a stupid bird, offering no resistance when
taken from the nest, and as appearing dazed and almost helpless
when placed on the land. The flight of the bird is strong and
graceful, and Audubon says it can dive and swim with the ease of
a Duck.
There are conflicting statements regarding the nocturnal habits of
the species, some observers representing them as feeding through
the day, while others think that during the day these birds are in-
active and silent, resting upon the water, usually far out from the
land, and very rarely feeding ; but at night they are actively occu-
pied in catching and devouring fish, and at that time their mournful
cry is continually in the air. There is good reason for believing that
both statements are correct, — that these birds feed in the daytime
when food is abundant, but that they are generally more active after
. Sunset.
Nore. — The MANx SHEARWATER (P. fuffinus), which breeds
on the coast of England, is credited with appearing occasionally
near to our coast.
YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS.
THALASSOGERON CULMINATUS.
CHAR. Mantle dark bluish slate, shading to brownish on wings and
head; rump white; tail grayish; under parts white. Length about 36
inches.
Nest. In an exposed situation on an ocean island; a bulky structure
of coarse herbage and mud lined with fine grass and feathers. As new
material is added each succeeding year, the height is increased.
£gg. 1; dull white, sparsely marked with purplish brown and laven-
der; average size 4.25 X 2.65.
The claim of this species to recognition here is based upon the
capture of an immature bird near the mouth of the river St. Law-
rence in 1885. I examined the skin, which is preserved in the
Museum of Laval University, at Quebec, and was told by the
curator, Mr. C. E. Dionne, that he purchased it from the fisherman
who shot the bird. The claim is slight, but there is no reason why
it should be ignored.
This bird had wandered far away from the usual habitat of the
species, for the Yellow-nosed Albatross is seldom seen anywhere
278 SWIMMERS.
but in the Southern Pacific, a few examples only having been
observed as far north as the coast of California.
It should be remembered, however, that this entire family of
birds are noted wanderers, — ¢ke most extensive wanderers of all
this wandering race, —and their strength of wing and power of
endurance render them capable of any journey.
There is something truly sublime, as Hammerton has suggested,
in the travelling of these sea-birds. “Think of one of these birds,”
he writes, “leaving some barren rock in the ocean, and without fur-
ther preparation than the unfolding of his mighty wings, setting
forth on a voyage of two or three hundred leagues! .. . Nothing
but the natural forces aid him; he propels himself by his own un.
wearied pinions, and seeks his food in the waves below. Self-
reliance of that genuine kind is quite beyond us. . . . The great
lonely birds ave self-reliant; and what a noble absence of fear is
needed for the daily habit of their lives!”
WANDERING ALBATROSS.
DIOMEDEA EXULANS.
CuHar. Prevailing color yellowish white; tail sooty black; wing-
coverts more or less varied with dusky. Average length about 50 inches.
Young birds are uniform sooty brown, and become white, gradually the
white feathers increasing at each moult.
Vest. In an open situation on an ocean island, — a bulky structure of
coarse herbage and mud, lined with fine grass and feathers. By the
yearly addition of fresh material the nest rises to mound-like propor-
tions, some having been seen as high as eight feet.
Egg. 1; white, the surface rough, sometimes marked on the larger end
with dull brown; average size 4.95 X 3.15.
The Albatross inhabits the Atlantic as well as the Pacific,
and sometimes wanders accidentally to the coasts of the cen-
tral parts of the Union. Vagabond, except in the short season
of reproduction, these birds are seen to launch out into the
widest part of the ocean; and it is probable that according to
the seasons, they pass from one extremity of the globe to the
other. Like the Fulmar, the constant attendant upon the
whale, the Albatross, no less adventurous and wandering, pur-
sues the tracks of his finny prey from one hemisphere into
another. When the flying-fish fails, these birds have recourse to
WANDERING ALBATROSS, 279
the inexhaustible supply of molluscous animals with which the
milder seas abound. ‘They are nowhere more abundant than
off the Cape of Good Hope, where they have been seen in
April and May, sometimes soaring in the air with the gentle
motion of a kite, at a stupendous height ; at others nearer the
water, watching the motions of the flying-fish, which they
seize as they spring out of the water, to shun the jaws of the
larger fish which pursue them. Vast flocks are also seen round
Kamtschatka and the adjacent islands, particularly the Kuriles
and Bering’s Island, about the end of June. Their arrival is
considered by the natives of these places asa sure presage of
the presence of the shoals of fish which they have thus followed
into these remotest of seas. That want of food impels them to
undertake these great migrations appears from the lean condi-
tion in which they arrive from the South ; they soon, however,
become exceedingly fat. Their voracity and gluttony is almost
unparalleled, — it is not uncommon to see one swallow a salmon
of four or five pounds weight; but as the gullet cannot con-
tain the whole at once, part of the tail end will often remain
out of the mouth; and they become so stupefied by their
enormous meals as to allow the natives to knock them on the
head without offering any resistance. They are often taken
by means of a hook baited with a fish, though not for the sake
of their flesh, which is hard and unsavory, but on account of
their intestines, which the Kamtschadales use as a bladder to
float the buoys of their fishing-nets. Of the bones they also
make tobacco-pipes, needle-cases, and other small implements.
When caught, however, these birds defend themselves stoutly
with the bill, and utter a harsh and disgusting cry. Early in
August they quit these inhospitable climes for the more genial
regions of the South, into which they penetrate sometimes as
low as the latitude of 67°.
In Patagonia and the Falkland Islands they are known to
breed, but not in the northern hemisphere, to which they prob-
ably migrate only in quest of food. They repair to this south-
ern extremity of the American continent about the time they
leave the northern regions, being seen at the close of Sep-
280 SWIMMERS.
tember and beginning of October (the spring of this hemi-
sphere) associated to breed with other birds of similar habits.
The nests are made on the ground with earth and sedge, of
a round, conic form, elevated to the height of three feet, leay-
ing a hollow in the summit for the egg, — for the Albatross
lays but one, which is larger than that of a Goose, white, with
dull spots at the larger end; this is good food, the white
never growing hard with boiling. While the female is sitting,
the male is constantly on the wing, and supplies her with food.
During this time the female is so tame as to allow herself to
be pushed off the nest while her eggs are taken. But the
most destructive enemy of this bird is the Hawk, which steals
the egg whenever the female removes from it. As soon as
the young are able to leave the nest, the Penguins take pos-
session of it, and without further preparation hatch their young
in turn.
The Albatross, though so large a bird, suffers itself to be
teased and harassed while on the wing by the Skua Gull, or
Lestris, from which it often alone finds means to escape by
settling down into the water, but never attempts resistance.
A few examples of this species have been met with off the coasts
of Florida; but it has not been seen elsewhere near our shores
during recent years.
GREATER SNOW GOOSE.
WAVEY. WHITE BRANT.
CHEN HYPERBOREA NIVALIS.
CuHaR. Plumage white ; head washed with rufous; wing-coverts and
wings ashy gray, the latter shading to black at the ends; bill and feet
purplish red. Length about 33 inches.
In young birds the upper parts are pale gray, the feathers of the back
edged with white; rump and under parts white.
WVest. Usually on the marshy margin of a lake or stream, — a loosely
made structure of coarse herbage and twigs lined with grass and feathers.
£ggs. Unknown.
The Snow Goose, common to the north of both continents,
breeds, according to Richardson, in the Barren Grounds of
Arctic America in great numbers, frequenting the sandy shores
of rivers and lakes. ‘These birds are very watchful, employing
282 SWIMMERS.
one of their number usually as a sentinel to warn them of any
approaching danger. The young fly about the close of August,
and the whole depart southward about the middle of Septem-
ber. Early in November they arrive in the river Delaware,
and probably visit Newfoundland and the coasts of the Eastern
States in the interval, being occasionally seen in Massachusetts
Bay. They congregate in considerable flocks, are extremely
noisy and gabbling, their notes being shriller than those of the
Canada or Common Wild Goose. They make but a short stay
in the winter, proceeding farther south as the severity of the
weather increases. The Snow Geese already begin to return
towards the North by the middle of February, and. until the
breaking up of the ice in March, are frequently seen in flocks
on the shores of the Delaware and around the head of the
bay. At this time they are observed to feed on the roots of
the. reeds, tearing them up like hogs. In their breeding-
resorts in the fur countries they crop rushes and collect insects,
and in autumn principally berries for food, particularly those of
the crow-berry. At this time they are seldom seen on the
water, except in the night or when moulting. When well fed
the flesh is excellent, being far superior to the Canada Goose
in juiciness and flavor. It is said the young do not attain the
full plumage of the old birds before their fourth year, and until
that period they appear to keep in separate flocks. They are
numerous at Albany Fort, in the southern part of Hudson Bay,
where the old birds are rarely seen; and, on the other hand,
the adult birds in their migrations visit York Factory in great
abundance, but are seldom accompanied by the young. They
make their appearance in these remote countries in spring, a
few days later than the Canada Goose, and pass in large flocks
both through the interior and along the coast. At this season
they were also seen by Mr. Say in the Territory of Missouri;
many migrating north, probably up the great valley of the
Mississippi.
The Snow Goose is also met with commonly on the western
side of America, as at Aoonalashka and Kamtschatka, as well
as in the estuary of the Oregon, where they were seen by Lewis
BLUE GOOSE. 283
and Clarke. They are very abundant in Siberia, and the
natives often take them in nets by means of rude decoys. In
that frozen climate they afford a great article of subsistence ;
each family killing thousands in a season, which are laid up in
bulk, in holes in the earth, and made: use of as occasion
requires.
The breeding area of this variety is not known with certainty,
but it probably lies in the Barren Ground region between Green-
land and the Mackenzie River, the larger number of the birds
nesting towards the western limit of their range.
The birds winter on the Atlantic shores of the Southern States
and in the West Indies, and go north chiefly by way of the Mis-
sissippi valley. Only a few individuals are seen on the New Eng-
land and Canadian shores. Immense flocks are met with on the
Great Plains.
Nore. — The Lesser Snow Goose (Chen hyperborea), the Western
form of this species, which breeds in Alaska, is found in winter
occasionally in southern IJinois, and casually in New England.
BLUE GOOSE.
BLUE WAVEY.
CHEN C/ERULESCENS.
Cuar. Back grayish brown; head, neck, and rump white; wings
bluish gray, shading to black on ends; tail dusky; under parts white ;
bill and feet purplish red. Length about 25 inches.
Nest and Eggs. Unknown.
After much contention and relegation for a time to the “ Hypo-
thetical List,” under the supposition that it was the young of the
Snow Goose, this has been admitted as a valid species
Its breeding area lies along the shores of Hudson Bay, and its
winter home is on the Gulf coast, whence it migrates chiefly along
the valley of the Mississippi. Mr. William Dutcher reports that
the bird is “an accidental visitor” to Long Island.
In habits the Blue Goose does not differ materially from its
allies.
AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.
LAUGHING GOOSE.
ANSER ALBIFRONS GAMBELI.
Cuar. Upper parts brownish ash, the feathers paler on the edges;
forehead and rump white; wings and tail dusky; under parts brownish
gray, blotched with black; bill yellow, with white nail; legs and feet
orange. Length about 30 inches.
Nest. Amid rank grass and made of coarse herbage and lined with grass
and feathers, —sometimes a mere depression at the summit of a grassy
mound or in the sand on the bank of a river, lined with feathers and down.
Eggs. 5-73; “dull greenish yellow” (?); 3.15 X 2.05.
The White-fronted Goose breeds chiefly in the interior of the
continent on the skirts of the forest portions of sub-arctic regions,
and winters in Mexico and the West Indies. During the migra-
tions this Goose is rare along the Atlantic coast, but plentiful on
the plains, and quite common about the Great Lakes.
Numbers of this species nest in Greenland, but they are said to
be of the European race, — true albéfrons,—and they probably
migrate southward by the way of Iceland and the British Isles.
The name of Laughing Goose is derived from the call, which is
loud and trumpet-like. It sounds something like wah, wah, wah,
wah, repeated rapidly,
CANADA GOOSE.
WILD GOOSE.
BRANTA CANADENSIS.
CHAR. Mantle grayish brown, the feathers with paler edges ; head and
neck black, a broad white patch on the throat; tail black, tail-coverts
white; under parts gray, shading to white on the under tail-coverts ; bill
and legs black. Length about 36 inches.
Vest. Ina variety of situations, but usually on the ground and made
of twigs and grass loosely laid and lined with feathers and down.
Leggs. 5-7; pale dull green; 3.50 X 2.50.
‘OS
The Common Wild Goose of America is known familiarly in
every part of the Union as a bird of passage to and from its
breeding-places in the interior and north of the continent. The
arrival of these birds in the desolate fur countries of Hudson
Bay is anxiously looked for and hailed with joy by the abo-
rigines of the woody and swampy districts which they frequent,
who depend principally upon them for subsistence during the
286 SWIMMERS.
summer. They make their appearance at first in flocks of
twenty or thirty, which are readily decoyed within gunshot by
the hunters, who set up stales, or stuffed birds, and imitate their
call. Two or three are so frequently killed at a shot, in this
way, that the usual price of a Wild Goose is a single charge of
ammunition. This vernal flight of the Geese continues from
about the middle of April to the same time in May; their ap-
pearance of course coinciding with the thawing of the swamps
and marshes, though their usual food of grass and berries is
accessible at most times when not buried up in the snow.
These fruits are often, indeed, only mellowed by the frost, and
when stripped of their wintry wreath are again ready for food,
as they were in the autumn before their disappearance beneath
the snow. At such times, according to Dr. Richardson, the
Wild Goose makes an abundant repast of the farinaceous ber-
ries of the silvery buckthorn as well as of other kinds which have
escaped destruction. After feeding in a desultory manner for
about three weeks, these birds retire from the shores of Hud-
son Bay, their great rendezvous, and disperse in pairs through
the country between the s5oth and 67th parallels, to breed, but
are seldom or never seen on the coasts of the Arctic Sea; yet
Mr. Audubon found them breeding on the shores of Labrador.
They lay six or seven greenish-white eggs in a coarse nest
usually made on the ground, but some pairs occasionally breed
on the banks of the Saskatchewan, in trees, making use, on
these occasions, of the deserted eyries of the Ravens or Fishing
Hawks. The call, or honk, is imitated by a prolonged nasal
pronunciation of the syllable woo frequently repeated.
Solitude and suitable food seem principally to influence the
Canada Goose in the selection of its breeding-place ; it is there-
fore not improbable but that many pairs pass the period of
reproduction in the swampy and retired marshes of the Great
Northwestern Lakes. At any rate, in the month of March
(1810) many Wild Geese were nesting in the shave-rush bot-
toms of the Missouri no farther up than Fire Prairie, consider-
ably below the junction of the river Platte; so that the breed-
ing range of the Canada Goose probably extends through not
CANADA GOOSE. 287
less than 30 degrees of latitude. In July it appears, after the
young birds are hatched, in the fur countries ; the parents moult ;
and advantage being then taken of their helplessness, vast
numbers are killed in the rivers and small lakes when thus dis-
abled from flight. At such times, when chased by a canoe,
and frequently obliged to dive, they soon become fatigued, and
making for the shore in order to hide, are quickly overtaken,
and fall an easy prey to their pursuers.
Attached to particular places of resort at the period of
migration, the Geese in autumn, instinctively advertised of the
approaching winter, and of the famine which to them neces-
sarily attends in its train, are again seen to assemble on the
sea-coast, courting the mildness of its temperature and _ its
open waters, which seem to defy the access of frost. They
thus continue to glean the marshes along the shores, till the
increasing severity of the weather urges them to a bolder
and more determined flight from the threatening dangers
of their situation. They now in vast array begin to leave the
freezing shores of Hudson Bay. Like the rest of their gab-
bling and sagacious tribe, at the call of their momentarily
elected leader they ascend the skies, wheeling round, as if to
take a final leave of their natal shores, and sensible to the
breeze, arranged in long converging lines ( >), they survey
their azure route, and instinctively follow the cheering path of
the mid-day sun, whose feeble gleams alone offer them the
hope of arriving in some more genial clime. The leader,
ambitious of his temporary station, utters the cheering and
reiterated cry; his loud but simple clarion, answered by the
yielding ranks, dispels the gloom of solitude through which they
laboriously wander to uncertain and perhaps hostile lands. At
length they come in sight of the habitations of men. Suspicious
of these appearances, they urge their flight higher and more
silently in the air. Bewildered by fogs, however, they often
descend so low and honk so loud as to give sufficient notice
of their approach to the ambitious gunner, who thus pours
destruction among the alarmed and confused flock. They also
hear, or think they hear, a wandering companion lost from
288 SWIMMERS,
their cherished ranks ; they approach the object, and it is but a
domestic traitor of their species, or the well-imitated call of
the wily fowler, Towards evening, desirous of relieving the
toil and hunger of his adventurous band, the intelligent leader
reconnoitres from his lofty station the resting-place of his
charge ; he espies the reedy river or silent lake, whose grassy
margins offer the necessary supply and cover to their lodg-
ment. His loud call now redoubles at the pleasing prospect, and
they all alight, and silently repose in darkness upon the still
water. Early in the morning they renew their wandering
course, and according to the time and season, visit every part
of the Union, to the shores of the Mexican Gulf.
The autumnal flight of the Canada Geese to the coast of
Hudson Bay, and their residence there, continues for three
weeks or a month previous to their departure for the South,
which usually takes place in September. Early in October
they arrive on the coasts of the Eastern and Middle States.
The residents of Hudson Bay depend greatly on Geese for
their supply of winter provision ; and according to Hutchins,
in favorable years they kill three or four thousand, and bar-
rel them up for use. These are obtained chiefly by means
of ambuscade and decoy, bough-huts being made by the
Indians in lines over the marshes they frequent to feed.
Mimicking their call, they are brought within gunshot, and the
deception is also enhanced by stales and setting up the dead
birds on sticks, in living attitudes. Thus in a good day a
single native will kill as many as two hundred. When the
frosts begin, the Geese are readily preserved, with the feath-
ers on, in a frozen state, and thus afford a durable supply of
fresh provision. The feathers also constitute an article of
commerce.
In the shallow bays and marshy islands some Geese continue
the whole winter in New Jersey and the Southern States, through
which they spread themselves to the very extremity of Florida.
Their principal food is the sedge roots and other herbage ; they
also crop Ufwas and tender marine plants, and swallow quanti-
ties of gravel, They swim with ease and elegance, and when
CANADA GOOSE, 289
disabled in the wings, dive well and become difficult to cap-
ture. When the shallow bays and ponds are frozen, they seek
the mouths of inlets near the sea, in quest of their fare.
The Canada Goose is now completely domesticated, and is
as familiar, breeds as freely, and is in every respect as valuable.
as the common Gray Goose. Even in Buffon’s time, « many
hundreds inhabited the great canal at Versailles, where they
bred familiarly with the Swans ;”” and he also adds, “ There is
at present a great number on the magnificent pools that deco-
rate the charming gardens of Chantilly.” The female, in a
state of domesticity, still with instinctive caution seeks out the
most solitary place for her nest, not far from the water. These
birds are also extremely watchful, and the gander often very
resentful and clamorous against any stranger who happens to
approach the place where his consort is breeding. He often
engenders with the Goose of the common species, and the
hybrids are greatly esteemed for the superiority of their
flavor.
The natural desire of periodical migration is strongly ex-
hibited by Canada Geese while in a state of domestication ;
and though at all other times reconciled to accustomed and
voluntary captivity, they are often heard instinctively to hail
the passing flocks as they pursue their yielding way high in the
air. Individuals have been known to leave the premises where
they appeared entirely domestic, after the healing of the
wounds which brought them into captivity, and they have thus
successfully mounted into the air and joined some passing
party pursuing their way to the North.
A Mr. Platt, of Long Island, having wounded a female Wild
Goose, succeeded in taming it, and left it at large with his
other Common Geese. Its wound healed, and it soon became
familiar and reconciled to its domestic condition ; but in the
following spring it joined a party of Canada Geese and disap-
peared until autumn; when at length, out of a passing flock,
Mr. Platt observed three Geese detach themselves from their
companions, and after wheeling round several times, alight in
the barn-yard, when, to his astonishment, he recognized in one
VOL. Il. — 19
290 SWIMMERS.
of the three his long-lost fugitive, who had now returned,
accompanied by her offspring, to share the hospitality of her
former acquaintance. However incredible this story may
appear, I have heard two or three relations of the same kind,
as well authenticated as any other facts in natural history.
One of these happened to a planter near Okrocock inlet, in
North Carolina, in which, as in the present instance, the female,
after being absent the summer, returned recruited with her
brood in autumn; but the greedy farmer, less humane than
Mr. Platt, having probably heard of the old adage that “a
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush,” made sure of his
prizes by killing them without delay. It appears from the
relations of travellers, and particularly a Dr. Sanchez, that in
the Cossack villages on the Don (in the autumn of 1736), he
remarked, as he travelled along, a great number of Geese in
the air, which alighted and dispersed through the hamlets.
On inquiry he learned that these birds came from the remote
northern lakes, and that every year, on the breaking up of the
ice, six or seven pairs of Geese leave each hut of the village and
return not until the beginning of winter ; that then these flocks
arrive, increased by their progeny, and each little party, sepa-
rating from the rest, seek out the houses where they lived
the preceding winter.
The Canada Goose breeds sparingly in the northern portions of
the New England States and in New Brunswick. It is still a
common bird, and in some localities is found in great numbers
while migrating.
HUTCHINS GOOSE.
SOUTHERN GOOSE.
BRANTA CANADENSIS HUTCHINSII.
Cuar. Similar to Canada Goose in plumage, but of smaller size.
Length about 30 inches.
Nest. Usually on a sandy beach, —a mere depression in the sand lined
with grass and feathers. Like the Canada Goose, this variety sometimes
builds in a tree, generally in the deserted nest of a Hawk or Crow, and
often builds on the ground a large nest of twigs and grass.
£ggs. 5-8; pale creamy or whitish; 3.20 X 2.10.
Cre a ae
HUTCHINS GOOSE. 291
On Captain Parry’s second voyage several flocks of Geese
were seen on Melville Peninsula which were thought to be the
Barnacle, but which the Esquimaux said were the males of the
Brant that during the breeding-season separated themselves
from the females. A number of specimens were obtained, all
of which proved to be males, and Dr. Richardson described
the species as a variety of the Brant; but from information
afterwards obtained, he considered these specimens as belong.
ing to a different species, hitherto confounded with the 4.
canadensis. In Hudson Bay these birds are well known by
the Cree name of Afpistiskeesh, and are generally thought by
the residents to be merely a small kind of the Canada Goose,
as they have the white, kidney-shaped patch on the throat,
which is deemed peculiar to that species. Their habits, how-
ever, are dissimilar, the Canada Geese frequenting the fresh-
water lakes and rivers of the interior, and feeding chiefly on
herbage ; while the present species are always found on the
sea-coast, feeding on marine plants, and the mollusca which
adhere to them, whence their flesh acquires a strong fishy
taste.
In form, size, and general colors of the plumage, the new
species more nearly resembles the Brant than the Canada
Goose. It differs, however, from the former in having the white,
reniform patch on the throat and cheeks, in wanting the spotted
white mark on the side of the neck, in the black color termi-
nating four inches higher, instead of including the swell of the
upper parts of the back and breast, and in the white of the
vent being more extended. It is totally unlike 4. deucopsis
in plumage, and has a larger bill.
This species of Barnacle, named in honor of Mr. Hutchins, —
from whom Pennant and Latham derived most of their in-
formation respecting the birds of Hudson Bay, — breeds in
considerable numbers on the shores and islands of the Arctic
Sea, being seldom seen in the interior, and keep near the sea-
coast in their migrations. They feed on marine plants and
mollusca, as well as on grass and berries, in common with the
A, bernicla.
292 SWIMMERS.
Hutchins Goose is now considered a variety of canadensis,
though in habits it is quite distinct.
The present race breeds in the Arctic region and winters in the
Southern States; but on the Atlantic coast is now rather rare north
of Cape Hatteras, though formerly it was quite common. On the
prairies and west of the Rockies these birds are still abundant.
Note. — The CackLING Goose (B. canadensis minima), a
smaller race, — length about 24 inches, — which breeds in Alaska
and winters in California, is occasionally represented in the Mis-
sissippi valley by a few individuals.
Another occasional visitor from the West to this faunal province
is the BLack Brant (B. nigricans). A few examples of this
species have been taken on the Atlantic coast.
Still another visitor of this group is the BARNACLE GOOSE
(B. leucopsis), a European bird. This species is said to be a
regular visitor to South Greenland, and Reinhardt thought it
nested in the interior of that country. It has been seen also on
Hudson Bay.
BRANT.
BLACK BRANT. BRANT GOOSE.
BRANTA BERNICLA.
CHAR. Mantle blackish brown, the feathers paler on the edges; head
and neck black, with patch of white on sides of the throat; quills and
tail black; tail-coverts white; under parts grayish brown, the feathers
tipped with white, lower belly white; bill and legs black. In the winter
the mantle has a rufous tinge. Length about 25 inches.
West. Ona cliff or sandy beach; made of grass, moss, and weed-stems
thickly lined with down.
Eggs. 4-6 (usually 4); dull white or creamy; average size about 2.85
X 1.90.
The Brant is another of the hardy aquatic birds common
to the hyperboreal regions of both continents. It breeds in
great numbers on the coasts and islands of Hudson Bay and
the Arctic Sea, and is rarely seen in the interior. In Europe
these birds proceed to the most northern isles of Greenland
and to the dreary shores of Spitzbergen. In winter they are
very abundant in Holland and in Ireland, as well as in Shet-
land, where they remain until spring. In America, though they
visit in the course of their migrations most of the Northern
and Middle States, they proceed still farther south to spend
294 SWIMMERS,
the winter, being seen on the Mississippi nearly to New
Orleans. They retire from their natal regions in the North in
September, and early in October are seen to arrive in great
numbers about Ipswich, Cape Ann, and Cape Cod, in Massa-
chusetts, continuing to come till the month of November, and
generally appearing in greater numbers after the occurrence of
an eastwardly storm. In hazy weather they also fly low, and
diverge into the bays and inlets. Many of these wandering
flocks pass on to the South almost without any delay, usually
in marshalled and angular lines, but sometimes in a confused
gang, loudly gabbling as they proceed. Their stay here is
commonly so short that it is necessary to ambuscade in huts on
their route in‘order to obtain them. The course of their pas-
sage is remarkably uniform, and instead of winding round the
bays, they cross over the narrow necks and peninsulas of land
which lie in their southern route, as if in haste to arrive at
some particular destination, or dissatisfied with the prospect of
fare. They continue almost without interruption their inflex-
ible course until, seduced by the mildness of the climate or
the abundance of their food, they seem inclined to take up
their permanent winter residence in the inlets of Long Island
and the sheltered bays of New Jersey, arriving, according to
Wilson, in Egg Harbor sometimes as early as the zoth of
September, or almost without the intermission of any interval,
but for necessary food and repose, from the time of their leav-
ing the shores of Hudson Bay. The first flights, still adven-
turous and roving, generally remain here only a few days, and
then pass on still farther to the South. Flocks continue, how-
ever, to arrive from the North, and many individuals remain
in the waters of New Jersey until the severe weather of De-
cember urges them to seek out milder regions. On recom-
mencing their journey they assemble in one great flight, making
an extensive spiral sweep some miles in circuit, to reconnoitre
their route ; when, rising at length high in the air, they steer
to the ocean, and continue their course along the bays, or
even out at sea for several leagues, till they arrive again at
some new destination.
bb
BRANT. 295
The Brant feeds usually on the bars at low water, and now
and then also in the marshes; its common fare is the laver
and other tender marine plants, and it now and then also eats
small shell-fish. In the spring the old birds are generally lean
and ill-flavored ; but in winter they are justly esteemed as a
delicacy, and sell at a high price. Brant never dive, but wade
about in quest of their food at the recess of the tide. At the
time of high water they swim out at their ease in the bay,
ranged in long lines, particularly during the continuance of
calm weather.
The voice of the Brant is hoarse and honking, and when
gabbling in company, almost equals the yell of a pack of
hounds. When pursued, or nearly approached in a state of
confinement, these birds hiss like Common Geese. They are
often quarrelsome amongst each other and with the Ducks in
their vicinity, driving the latter off their feeding-ground. They
never dive in quest of food, yet, when its wing is broken, the
Brant will go a hundred yards or more at a stretch under the
water; and it is then very difficult to obtain. About the mid-
dle of May it reappears on its way to the North, but at this
time rarely stops long, unless driven in by stormy weather.
Brant have been found breeding very far north,— beyond latitude
82°, —and Hagerup reports them as migrants only along the south-
ern shores of Greenland; but numbers also breed probably on the
lakes near Cumberland Bay, and some doubtless go no farther than
the interior of Labrador. Large numbers linger on the northern
shore of Nova Scotia until about the 1st of June, and then sail
away northward, gathering in one immense flock and rising in the
air to a great height.
Brant are generally written down “marine birds ;” but Thomp-
son says they occur regularly in Manitoba, though not common,
and Coues saw them in vast numbers on the banks and mud-bars
of the Missouri River.
296 SWIMMERS.
WHISTLING SWAN.
OLOR COLUMBIANUS.
CHAR. Plumage white; bill black, with 2 yellow spot between the
eyes and nostrils; legs black. Length about 55 inches.
Nest., On the margin of a lake or on an ocean island, sometimes in a
marsh on a river bank, —a large structure of coarse herbage lined with
fine grass or moss.
Eggs. 2-7; dull white, sometimes washed with a greenish or buffish
tint ; the surface is rough; average size about 4.25 X 2.70.
The Whistling Swan retires into the Arctic regions to pass
in more security the period of reproduction during the short
but brilliant summers which there prevail. In autumn it
migrates over both continents, and in winter is sometimes
numerous in the Bay of Chesapeake. Flocks are seen and
heard to pass also through various parts of the interior of
America, and they are nowhere more abundant at that season
than in Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, to which countries,
by the great valley of. the Mississippi, they are seen to repair
in lofty and numerous flights to the very close of winter, pro-
tracting their stay sometimes until driven to move by the
severest frosts. In the winter of 1810 I saw two of these
graceful birds in a state of domestication near St. Louis (Mis-
souri), which were obtained with several others at the same
time, in consequence of the extreme cold. The thermometer
falling to 15° below zero, they were unable to bear the cutting
severity of the weather, and fell disabled, accompanied by
several Wild Ducks, into an adjoining field, where a few sur-
vived and became tame.
Whistling Swans arrive in Hudson Bay about the end of May
in small flocks, accompanied by Geese, and propagate in great
numbers along the shores, islands, and inland lakes. These
birds, distinguished by their note and inferior size from the
following species, are called Hoopfers, and mostly frequent the
sea-coast. The Cygnets are esteemed a delicate dish, and
the full-grown young are also excellent food. The aborigines
WHISTLING SWAN. 297
of the interior make much use of the down of the Swan as
a matter of decoration, in which taste they have also been very
successfully followed by civilized nations. Among the Ice-
landers, Swans are an object of chase in the moulting season,
which takes place in August, after rearing their young; they
are pursued by dogs and on horseback, the animals being
purposely trained to pass nimbly over bogs and marshes. The
eggs in the spring, as well as the flesh in autumn, are in Ice-
land much used as food, and the feathers form an article of
trade. In Kamtschatka, where Swans likewise abound and
breed, they are taken and used in the same manner; their
food consists of aquatic plants and insects.
The Whistling Swan, though commonly tamed and domesti-
cated in Russia, has not the grace and elegance of the Mute
species, as instead of the beautiful curve of the neck it swims
with it erect. Its vocal organs are also remarkably assisted
by the elaborate structure of the trachea, which, instead of
passing on direct to the lungs, as in the Mute Swan, forms
two circumvolutions within the chest, like a trumpet, before
terminating in the respiratory organ; and it is thus enabled
to utter a powerful and sonorous note. The commom Tame
Swan, on the contrary, is the most silent of birds, being
unable to utter any louder noise than a hiss. This deficiency
of voice is, however, amply made up by beauty of form and
insinuating grace. Its pure, spotless, and splendid attire; its
stately attitude; the ease and elegance with which, like a
bark, it sits and moves majestically on the water, as if proud
and conscious of its beauty; aiding its pompous progress by
gently raising its snow-white wings to catch the sportive breeze,
wherein it wantons with luxuriant ease, queen of its native
element, —in short, all conspires to shroud the Swan, however
mute, with its long acknowledged and classic perfection. And
as if aware of its high and ancient pretensions, it still, as in
former ages, frequents the now neglected streams of the Mean-
der and the Strymon; with an air of affected languor it is
yet seen silently sailing by the groves of Paphos, though no
longer cherished by its beauteous queen.
298 SWIMMERS.
The Hooper emits its notes only when flying, or calling on
its mate or companions ; the sound is something like ’whoogh,
’whoogh, very loud and shrill, but by no means disagreeable
when heard high in the air and modulated by the winds. The
natives of Iceland indeed compare it, very flatteringly, to the
notes of a violin. Allowance must be made, however, for this
predilection when it is remembered that they hear this cheer-
ful clarion at the close of a long and gloomy winter, and when,
in the return of the Swan, they listen to the harbinger of ap-
proaching summer; every note must be, therefore, melodious
which presages the speedy thaw and the return of life and
verdure to their gelid coast.
It is to this species alone that the ancients could attribute
the power of melody, — the singular faculty of tuning its dying
dirge from among the reedy marshes of its final retreat. Ina
low, plaintive, and stridulous voice, in the moment of death, it
murmured forth its last prophetic sigh. These doleful strains
were heard at the dawn of day or when the winds and waves
were still, and, like the syrinx of Pan, were in all probability
nothing more than the murmurs and sighs of the wind through
the marshes and forests graced and frequented by these ele-
gant aquatic birds.
Nuttall confounded the American bird with the Hooper, or
Whooper, of Europe, also sometimes called the Whistling Swan,
though they are quite distinct.
Our bird winters on the Atlantic shore of the Southern States
and breeds in the fur countries, but does not migrate either way
along the Atlantic coast, where it is rarely seen north of Chesa-
peake Bay. Within the last few years a few examples have been
seen in New England, and I examined in the flesh one that was
shot in New Brunswick. I think that in former years it must
have occurred more frequently in this vicinity, for the Indians of
Maine and the Provinces know the bird well, and have a distinctive
name for it. The Indians say the Swan is always found in the
wake of a flock of Geese; though a small flock that were seen on
the Charles River in 1891 were apparently travelling without a
guide.
Mr. MclIlwraith reports that in March, 1890, a flock of twenty
Swans appeared on Lake Ontario, near Hamilton.
TRUMPETER SWAN, 299
TRUMPETER SWAN.
OLOR BUCCINATOR.
Cuar. Plumage white; bill and legs black. Length 60 to 65 inches.
Nest. Usually on dry upland, hid amid scrubby bushes; made of grass
and twigs lined with feathers and down.
ges. 2-6; white with a rough chalk-like surface; average size 4.40
X 2.60.
According to Richardson, éhis is the most common Swan in
the interior of the fur countries, which it frequents to breed
as far south as the 61st parallel, but principally within the
Arctic Circle. In its migrations it is generally seen to precede
the Geese by a few days. It is to the Trumpeter that the bulk
of the Swan-skins imported. by the Hudson Bay Company
belong. Lawson remarks that these birds arrive in great flocks
in Carolina in autumn, and frequent the rivers and fresh waters,
retiring thence to breed in the North as early as February.
This species, remarkable for its loud clarion, descends the
valley of the Mississippi in great flights at the approach of
winter. Hearne, who also observed this Trumpeter, remarks :
“T have heard them, in serene evenings, after sunset, make a
noise not very unlike that of a French horn, but entirely
divested of every note that constituted melody, and have often
been sorry that it did not forebode their death.” The trachea
is well supplied with the means of producing this hollow clang,
a fold of it entering a protuberance on the dorsal or interior
aspect of the sternum at its upper part, which is wanting both
in Cygnus ferus and C. bewickiz ; in other respects the wind-
pipe is distributed through the sternum nearly as in the latter
of these species.
The Trumpeter is a bird of the interior, and is seen but occa-
sionally to the eastward of the Mississippi, and is rare on the
Atlantic coast. A few examples have been seen on Lake Ontario.
It breeds from Iowa and Dakota northward.
Note. — The WHOOPING SWAN (Olor cygnus), a European bird,
occurs occasionally in Greenland.
SHOVELLER.
SPOONBILL. BROADBILL,
SPATULA CLYPEATA.
Cuar. Back brown, the feathers paler on the edges; shoulders blue;
wing-coverts white; secondaries brown with a green patch; primaries
black; rump and tail black; head and neck green; lower neck and
breast white; belly rich chestnut; vent white; under tail-coverts black;
bill widened at the end and of dark leaden blue; legs reddish. Female
darker and duller; head and neck mottled with two shades of brown;
under parts pale brown or buff. Length 20 inches.
Nest. On marshy margins of a lake or stream; made of grass lined
with down, which the female plucks from her body after she begins
to sit.
Eggs. 6-14; pale greenish buff, sometimes tinged with blue; 2.05 X
1.45.
The Shoveller, remarkable by the broadness of its bill, is an
inhabitant of the northern parts of both continents ; according
to Richardson it frequents chiefly the clear lakes of the hy-
perboreal districts, selecting for a breeding-place the Barren
Grounds, where it remains to pass the summer, appearing in
numbers in the more southern and woody country only in the
spring and autumn when migrating. Early in October these
SHOVELLER. 301
birds visit the small fresh-water lakes and marshes near the
sea in Massachusetts, and in the course of the winter continue
south to the extremity of the Union, penetrating into Mexico
and along the coast of the Gulf to Vera Cruz, and perhaps still
farther, in quest of subsistence and shelter from the cold.
Soon after March, according to Baillon, they disperse through
the fens in France to breed, and select the same places with
the Summer Teal, choosing, with them, large tufts of rushes,
making a nest of withered grass in the most boggy and diffi-
cult places of access, near waters. The young, in consequence
of the great disproportion of the bill, at that period, have a
most uncouth and awkward appearance, seeming to be op-
pressed by its weight, and perpetually inclined to rest it upon
the breast. They run about and swim, however, as soon as
hatched, and are carefully attended by the parent, who inces-
santly guards them from the surprise of ravenous birds. On
these occasions, when the danger becomes unavoidable, the
young are seen to squat silently among the grass, while the
old birds run off and dive. The cry of this species has been
compared to that of a rattle turned by small jerks in the hand.
The Shoveller is considered one of the most tender and
delicate-flavored Ducks, growing very fat in winter. Its
usual food is said to be small fish and insects, — rarely vege-
tables and seeds. Ina pair of the young which I examined,
that were killed in Fresh Pond, in this vicinity, the stomach
contained many fragments of a very delicate divaricated small
green Fucus, minute Scirpi plucked up by the roots, also frag-
ments of some Chara, with minute Watica and Anomia shells
quite comminuted, and a portion of gravel. We see, therefore,
that the remarkable structure of the bill in this species is no
way generally indicative of any peculiar habit of feeding. The
labyrinth in the trachea of the male is small, and its voice
probably proportionately feeble.
This beautiful bird, with its strangely shaped bill, is but rarely
seen along the Atlantic coast north of Connecticut, though, like
others of our water-fowl, it is well-known to gunners and sports-
men in more southern shooting resorts.
302 SWIMMERS.
These birds migrate across the country to the Western plains,
where they nest, from North Dakota and Manitoba northward,
ranging as far as Alaska.
LABRADOR DUCK.
PIED DUCK.
CAMPTOLAIMUS LABRADORIUS,
CHAR. Male: head, neck, breast, and most of wings white; crown,
collar or neck, back, primary wing-feathers, tail, and under parts black;
bill orange at the base, the terminal half black; legs and feet lead blue.
Female: brownish gray, the wings darker, — primaries dusky. Length
18 to 20 inches.
Nest and Eggs. Unknown.
Nuttall made but slight mention of this species, supposing it to
be a straggler from the Pacific. He reported it as visiting the
Middle States in winter, and stated that the gunners of New Jersey
and Pennsylvania called it the Sand-shoal Duck. The flesh, he
adds, is dry and unsavory.
The majority of the ornithologists of the present day believe
that the species has become extinct, though some forty years ago
it occurred regularly all along the coast from Labrador to Dela-
ware, and nested in the lower fur countries.
The last example known to have been taken was shot on Long
Island in 1875. Previous to that date one had been taken at
Grand Menan in 1871.
As the bird was shy and difficult to approach, a strong swimmer
and of rapid flight, its extinction is a curious phenomenon, and un-
accountable. There are only thirty-three specimens known to be
preserved in the museums of America,
MALLARD. 303
MALLARD.
WILD DUCK.
ANAS BOSCHAS.
Cuar. Male: head and neck glossy green, with some purple reflec-
tions, and followed by a narrow ring of white; back brown, shading to
gray on the wings and to black on the rump; wing-bar purple, bordered
by black and white ; upper tail-coverts black; the longest feathers curling
upwards at the tips, rest of tail gray ; lower neck and breast rich chestnut ;
belly dull white, and marked with fine waved lines of gray; bill greenish
yellow; feet orange. Female: general plumage dark brown, varied with
buff; wings similar to the male. Length about 24 inches.
Nest. Usually on the ground, amid tall grass or under a bush, upon
a dry knoll near a pond or stream, sometimes in a tree, —a loose, bulky
structure of grass and leaves, lined with down.
Eggs. 6-12, sometimes 16; greenish buff of various shades; average
size 2.30 X 1.60.
The Mallard, or original of our Domestic Duck, like so many
other species is common to most parts of the northern hemi-
sphere. As a bird of passage, in spring and autumn it is seen
in every part of the United States, and indeed inhabits more
or less the whole continent, from the Gulf of Mexico to the
‘8th parallel, in the fur countries of the Canadian wilderness.
{n Europe it is met with everywhere, and many pass the
greater part of the winter in the dreary climate of Greenland.
Avoiding the sea-coast, it is but rarely that the Mallard visits
this vicinity, retiring south by an interior route.
These birds breed in the inland woody districts of the fur
countries, and more or less through all the intermediate space
as far south as Pennsylvania. They nest commonly on the
borders of rivers and lakes, sometimes at a considerable dis-
tance from water, amongst reeds, grass, or in fields and copses,
according to the convenience of the locality, and occasionally
even upon trees impending over waters. For its nest it scrapes
together a small quantity of such dry weeds as happen to be
contiguous. At the time of incubation the female plucks the
down from her breast to line the nest, and frequently covers
the eggs when she leaves them.
304 SWIMMERS.
Although it is most natural for all those birds whose young
run as soon as they are hatched, to deposit their eggs on
the ground, in the Mallard we have some curious exceptions.
It is asserted by a person of veracity in England that a
half-domesticated Duck was known to nest in a tower, where
she hatched her young, and brought them down in safety to
a piece of water at a considerable distance. Mr. Tunstall
mentions one at Etchingham, in Sussex, which was found
sitting upon nine eggs, on an oak twenty-five feet from the
ground ; and in another instance one was known to take pos-
session of the nest of a Hawk in a large oak. Though believed
to be monogamous, the fact is doubtful, as during the season
of incubation the Mallards are seen to congregate apart from
the Ducks as among other polygamous birds. Indeed, so little
is the male interested in the fate of the brood he has procre-
ated that the female, as incubation advances, is assiduous to
hide herself from the company of her indifferent mate; she
steals to her nest with caution, and sits on her eggs with the
greatest pertinacy and instinctive affection. When the young
are hatched in situations remote from water, the parent is
seen to transport them to it by carrying them gently in her
bill. In the evening the mother retires into the reeds, and
broods her young under her wings for the night. Almost from
the moment of hatching, the Ducklings swim and dive with the
greatest address, employing themselves often in catching gnats
and other insects on which they at first principally feed ; but
though so alert and well provided for their aquatic life, their
aérial progress is slow, as the growth of their wings is very tardy,
these continuing short and misshapen for near six weeks, and
the bird can scarcely attempt to fly in less than three months.
This protracted infancy necessarily indicates the necessity of
pairing early in the season ; and in the milder parts of Europe
the males, jealous and quarrelsome with each other, begin
towards the close of February already to address their mates.
Wild Ducks at all times show more activity in the night
than in the day. They feed, migrate, arrive, and depart
chiefly in the evening and in the night. In the dusk the
MALLARD. 305
rustling of their wings often alone marks their progress. Their
flight is generally in the form of a wedge, or two converging
lines (>) ; and being very cautious, they never alight until
they have wheeled several times round the spot, as if to survey
any lurking danger that may possibly threaten. They often
also swim out at a distance from the shore, and one or more
of the party, experienced as leaders, usually watch for the
common safety, and give instant alarm whenever there is
occasion. During the day they thus roam at large on the
lakes, secluded pools, or broad rivers remote from the shores,
resting or sleeping till the approach of twilight. In a domestic
state, though their habits are so much changed, they are very
noisy and watchful in the evening and at dawn, responding
their quack and cackle to the early crowing of the cock.
It is at this time that the fowler, secreted in his hut or in
any other way, lies in wait for their approach to the lure
of his female decoys, and pours among them his destructive
fire.
It would far exceed our limits to detail the various arts
employed in order to obtain this wily and highly esteemed
game. Decoys of wood, carefully painted to imitate these and
other species, are sometimes very successful lures in the morn-
ing twilight. The imitation of floating objects, as a boat
painted white amongst moving ice, has also sometimes been
attended with complete success. In India and China the
natives, wading into the water and concealing the head in
a calabash, steal upon the Ducks imperceptibly, and drawing
them down severally by the legs, fasten them to a girdle, till
it becomes loaded with its unsuspicious game.
In the fens of Lincolnshire extensive and ingenious decoys
are made for this purpose in the form of a winding canal pass-
ing out of the lake where the Ducks resort, and which is
screened on one side by a high reed-fence. At the bottom
of this artificial and converging sluice, inarched with willows,
a tunnel net is laid, into which the birds are driven by a dog
trained for the purpose and sent out to the Ducks at the
entrance of the inlet; they are thus, with suitable precaution,
VOL. II. — 20
306 SWIMMERS.
at length urged into the net, sometimes in such quantities
that five or six dozen have been taken out at one drift.
The food of the Wild Duck is small fish, fry, snails, aquatic
insects and plants, as well as seeds and most sorts of grain. In
the severity of winter, if the standing waters become frozen,
these birds remove to running rivers and resort to the edge of
woods in quest of acorns or other suitable food; but if the
frost continues for eight or ten days they disappear, and do
not return till the early thaws of the spring.
The Mallard is a rare bird in New England and the Provinces,
but it is quite common in western Ontario and Manitoba, and
elsewhere throughout North America, breeding from Indiana and
Iowa northward. On the Atlantic coast it is not known to breed
south of Labrador.
Nuttall’s statement that many of these birds pass the greater part
of the winter in Greenland has been questioned, though European
naturalists have been aware that the Mallards were influenced to
migrate more by the absence of open water than by change of
temperature. Mr. Hagerup has confirmed Nuttall’s statement
lately by reporting that in south Greenland the Mallards “are
common the whole year round, but most numerous in winter, when
they keep in small flocks along the shore.”
GADWALL.
GRAY DUCK.
ANAS STREPERA.
Cuar. Upper parts brown, barred and vermiculated with white, giving
a general appearance of brownish gray; head and neck light brown,
mottled with darker; wings brown and black, wing-patch white; rump
black ; tail-feathers brown, edged with paler; lower neck and breast dark
gray; belly white, with fine wavy lines of gray; bill lead blue; legs dull
orange. The female is darker in color, the dark-brown tints prevailing
above, the white below. Length about 21 inches.
Nest. Usually near the water, though often some distance away, placed
under a bush or amid a tussock of rank herbage; made of grass and lined
with feathers, — sometimes a mere depression in the soil, lined with
feathers.
Eggs. 8-13; pale, buff, tinged with green when fresh; 2.10 X 1.50.
The Gadwall inhabits the northern regions of both conti-
nents, but does not in America, according to Richardson,
proceed farther than the 68th parallel, and in Europe it seems
not to advance higher than Sweden. In the Russian Empire
it extends over most of the latitudes of the European and
Siberian part, except the east of the latter and Kamtschatka.
In migrations it passes chiefly into the warmer parts of Europe,
being very rare in England, but common on the coasts of
308 SWIMMERS.
France, Italy, and Sardinia. In the United States it appears
to be generally rare. A few of the young birds are seen in
this vicinity, and Wilson met with it in the interior on Seneca
Lake in October, and in February at Louisville on the Ohio,
and near the Big Bone Lick, in Kentucky.
The Gadwall breeds in the woody districts of the remote
northern fur countries of Canada. In the North of Europe it
inhabits the vast rushy marshes, and in Holland, where it is
common, associates in the same places with the Wild Duck, or
Mallard. These birds are very much esteemed as game, are
very alert at diving and swimming, and plunging at the flash
of the gun, are obtained with difficulty. They are very timor-
ous, lurking in the marshes by day, feeding only in the twilight
of the morning and evening, and often till some time after
nightfall; they are then heard flying in company with the
Whistlers, and, like these, obey the call of the Decoy Ducks.
Their cry much resembles that of the common Wild Duck;
nor is it more raucous or louder, though Gesner seems to have
meant to characterize its note by applying the epithet svepera,
which has been adopted by succeeding ornithologists. The
food of this bird consists of small fish, shelly mollusca, insects,
and aquatic plants.
The Gadwall breeds from the Middle States to the lower fur
countries. It is rather rare to the eastward of the Mississippi
valley, but in that region it is abundant north to the Saskatchewan.
This is a freshwater Duck, and its favorite resort is the marshy
margin of a retired lake or stream, where it dozes through the
hours of the day, and at night feeds among the tangled rushes.
It is a shy bird and wary, but sociable with its kind, and may be
found in company with other wild fowl. It swims light and buoy-
antly, but never dives unless wounded, and its flight is strong and
swift.
PINTAIL.
GRAY DUCK. SPRIGTAIL.
DAFILA ACUTA.
Cuar. Male: back and flanks mottled gray; head and neck brown,
shading to black on the nape; wing-coverts buff; wing-patch, or “ specu-
lum,” green, margined with black and white; tail black, the two central
feathers much elongated; under parts white, —a line from the breast ex-
tending up the sides of the neck; bill and legs slate gray. Length 26 to
30 inches. Female: upper parts mottled gray and brown, and lower
parts gray and white; wing as in male, but of duller tints; tail with
oblique bars. Length 21 to 23 inches. :
Nest. Usually at considerable distance from the water, but often very
near ; always amid a tuft of tall grass, in a dry spot, —a deep, bowl-like
structure of sedges, and lined with grass and down.
Eggs. 7-10; pale buffish green; average size about 2.10 X 1.50.
This elegant species is an inhabitant of the northern parts of
both continents, leaving its remote natal regions as the winter
advances, when it is seen pretty frequently in the markets of
the United States, and is a game much esteemed for the ex-
cellence of its flavor. According to Richardson, these birds fre-
quent chiefly the clear lakes, and breed in the Barren Grounds,
310 SWIMMERS.
appearing in the more southern and wooded districts when
about to migrate, at which period they proceed even beyond
the limits of the United States, being noticed by Hernandez in
Mexico. In Europe they are said to retire to the marshes of
the White Sea to breed. In Missouri and some of the other
Western States they are abundant early in March, and frequent
the small pools and ponds in the prairies; at the same time
they are likewise seen on their way north on the shores of the
Delaware.
The Pintail is shy and cautious, feeding on the mud-flats
and shallow freshwater marshes, but rarely taking to the sea-
coast. It seldom dives, is very noisy and chattering, uttering
a quack like the Common Duck, and plunges and hides with
great dexterity when wounded. It is also troublesomely vigi-
lant in giving alarm on the approach of the gunner.
The food and nest of this species are very similar to those
of the preceding. I have found the stomach in one instance
nearly filled with the seeds of the Zos¢era. A female Pintail
bred in confinement, when paired with a Widgeon in Lord
Stanley’s menagerie in Knowsley, sat so closely upon her eggs
towards the close of the period of incubation as to allow
herself to be taken off the nest by hand without forsaking her
hatching, and a brood of these hybrids was successfully
reared.
The Pintail is abundant in the interior, breeding along the
northern border of the United States and in Manitoba, and thence
to the Arctic Circle. It is rather rare on the Atlantic coast, where
it appears in autumn and winter north of Chesapeake Bay.
BALDPATE.
WIDGEON.
ANAS AMERICANA.
Cuar. Mantle brownish gray, varied with fine waved lines of black;
head and neck grayish white, with dark spots, — the crown with few or no
spots; a green patch on the sides of the head behind the eyes; wing-
patch green, bordered with black; tail grayish brown; breast mottled
reddish brown; belly white; bill and legs grayish blue. Length 19
inches. The female has a dark-brown back; head and neck yellowish
white, spotted with black.
Vest. Under a bush on upland, or on a dry knoll in a marsh; made of
weed-stemis, grass, and leaves, — sometimes a mere depression amid dead
leaves, — lined with down.
Lggs. 7-12; ivory white; average size 2.20 X I.50.
This species, so nearly allied to the European Widgeon, has
not been found in the old continent; yet it retires north to
breed, inhabiting in summer the woody districts of the remote
fur countries near the Saskatchewan and the coasts of Hudson
Bay as far as the 68th degree of northern latitude. In autumn
and winter these birds are common in nearly all parts of the
Union, many wintering in North and South Carolina in the
312 SWIMMERS,
open rivers and bays, sometimes considerably inland. Indeed,
I have never seen them anywhere so numerous as in the
Neuse River, round Newbern, forty miles from the ocean,
where, in company with the Canvas-back and Buffle-head,
they are seen constantly in February and March. They are
also numerous in Chesapeake Bay, and in the course of the
winter extend their migrations as far as St. Domingo and other
of the West India Islands, as well as into Cayenne in the trop-
ical parts of the continent.
The Widgeon, or Baldpate, is a frequent attendant on the
Canvas-back, and often profits by this association. The for-
mer, not being commonly in the habit of diving for subsistence,
or merely from caprice, watches the motions of its industrious
neighbor, and as soon as the Canvas-back rises with the favorite
root on which they both greedily feed, the Baldpate snatches
the morsel and makes off with his booty. These birds are
always very alert and lively, feeding and swimming out into
the ponds and rivers at all hours of the day, but are extremely
watchful, sheltering in coves and behind the land, and on the
slightest attempt to steal upon them, immediately row out into
the stream beyond gunshot, and then only take to wing when
much disturbed. In Carolina and the West Indies they fre-
quent the rice-fields in flocks, and in Martinico are said to
do considerable damage to the crops. When thus feeding in
company they have a sort of sentinel on the watch. At times
they keep in covert until twilight, and are then traced by their
low, guttural, and peculiar whistle, or ‘whew, ‘whew, as well as
other calls ; and their whistle is frequently imitated with success
to entice them within gunshot. They feed much in the win-
ter upon aquatic vegetables, cropping the pond-weed as well as
other kinds of freshwater plants and seeds, and sometimes
dive and collect the roots and leaves of the sea-wrack.
Although generally distributed throughout North America, the
Baldpate rarely appears on the Atlantic coast excepting in winter,
when it is found on the shores of the Southern States. Itisa
“tolerably common summer resident ” of Manitoba, writes Ernest |
Thompson, and the bird is well known in Ontario.
WIDGEON.
ANAS PENELOPE.
CuHarR. Adult male: mantle white, marked with fine lines of dark
gray; shoulders white, followed by bar of black; wing-patch green;
longer wing-feathers and tail dark brown; head and neck chestnut, shad-
ing to buff on the forehead and to black on the throat; breast gray, tinged
with rufous and shading to white below, which extends across the belly;
sides marked with fine lines of dark gray; under tail-coverts black; bill
slate blue, tipped with black; legs and feet dusky lead color. Soon after
the mating season the male assumes plumage similar to the female.
Female: upper parts grayish brown,— the feathers with paler margins ;
under parts white, the breast buffish brown; under tail-coverts barred
with brown; wing-patch grayish brown. Length 18 inches.
Nest. Concealed amid rank herbage or under a bush, on the margin of
a lake; a deep bowl made of sedges and lined with grass and down.
Eggs. 7-12 (usually about ro) ; rich cream color or buff; average size
2.20 X 1.50.
Though generally set down in the books as a bird of the Old
World, the Widgeon has been known to occur on this western
shore of the Atlantic much too often to be omitted from the pres-
ent connection. The bird breeds on Iceland, and probably occurs
regularly in Greenland, though in small numbers; and every yea
314 SWIMMERS.
more or less examples are seen along our coast from Nova Scotia
to Virginia.
The nest has not been found within our borders, and it is not
probable that any nests have been built here. The breeding area
lies north of the Arctic Circle.
The Widgeon is one of the most abundant and best-known of
the Ducks that migrate through the British Islands, where it ap-
pears in flocks of enormous size, covering like a cloud the mud-
flats of the sea-shore when the tide is out, or settling upon any
large sheet of inland water adjacent to the sea; for these birds
feed on the buds and seeds of aquatic plants as well as on marine
insects and mollusks.
The call of the male Widgeon is a shrill-whistled whee-yox, or
mee-yu, — the first note loud and prolonged. The female utters a
low, purring note, like £27-7-r, When flushed, both male and female
rise in silence.
The Widgeon is not easily shot. It is extremely shy and difficult
to approach, and its flight is rapid.
BLACK DUCK. 315
BLACK DUCK.
DUSKY DUCK. DUSKY MALLARD.
ANAS OBSCURA.
Cuar. General plumage blackish brown, paler on under parts ; head
and neck lighter; wing-patch greenish purple, bordered with black ; lining
of wings white ; bill greenish yellow; legs red. Length about 23 inches.
West. On the ground in a wet meadow or marshy border of lake or
stream, — sometimes under a bush or amid rushes ; a large but well-made
structure of grass and weed-stems lined with feathers.
£ggs. 6-12 (usually about 8) ; pale buff or buffish green; 2.40 X 1.70.
This species seems to be an exclusive inhabitant of America,
being met with from Labrador to Florida, but is not found in
the higher boreal regions of the continent. It is generally
known by the improper name of the “ Black Duck,” though it
is merely dusky, and both sexes, nearly alike in plumage, have
a great resemblance to the female of the Common Mallard. It
is a numerous and common species in the salt-marshes, as well
as freshwater rivers and lakes. It is only partially migratory,
many birds often wintering in the Middle and Southern States,
where they also pass the summer and breed from the Carolinas
to Labrador in retired places in the freshwater marshes, or in
the sea islands, making a nest of rank weeds.
Many of these birds migrate north. as well as into the inte-
rior at the approach of spring. Their principal food in autumn
and winter appears to consist of minute shell-fish, particularly
those univalves which are so abundant in the salt-marshes.
They also at times in great numbers visit the sandy beach in
quest of small bivalves and other shelly mollusca, and occa-
sionally feed on seeds of aquatic and bog plants, such as those
of the Scheutzeria ; and, as usual, swallow gravel with the rest of
their fare. They roost in the shallow ponds and islands, where
many are caught by the minx and fox, and are extremely shy
during the day, being at that time very seldom seen, except
when surprised in their retreats or alarmed by the report of the
gun, when they often rise from the marsh in great numbers and
316 SWIMMERS.
disperse confusedly in every direction. In calm weather they
fly high; but when the wind blows hard they proceed within
gunshot over the salt meadows, and may then be brought
down in great numbers by the concealed gunner as they pro-
ceed over their usual track. Their voice or quack resembles
that of the common Wild Duck, and their flesh when well fed,
notwithstanding the nature of their food, is scarcely inferior to
that of any other species.
The Black Duck is found throughout this Eastern Province,
north to Labrador and the Hudson Bay region, breeding south to
“Illinois and New Jersey ” (Chapman).
Note. — The FLoripa Duck (Azas fulvigula) is a Southern
race of the Black Duck, though it has been given specific rank
within recent years. The plumage is similar to that of obscura,
though /u/vigula is varied somewhat with buff; the cheeks and
throat plain buff; wing-patch greenish purple. It ranges through
the Gulf States and west to Kansas.
PL_XVII.
1. Woodcock. 4: Black Duck.
3 Mallard Duck
2 .Ganvas-Back Duck. 5. Ruddy Duck.
WOOD DUCK.
SUMMER DUCK.
AIX SPONSA.
Cuar. Upper parts dark brown, varied with black; head and crest
metallic green and purple; lines of white above and behind the eyes;
throat white; breast chestnut, with spots of white; under parts white,
flanks with fine waved lines of black; black and white crescents in front
of shoulder ; wings glossed with purple and green, and tipped with white;
bill red, black, and white ; legs yellow. Female mostly grayish brown,
and duller than the male ; throat and patch around the eye white. Length
17 to 19 inches.
Vest. Ina hollow tree; made of twigs and grass lined with down.
fggs. 8-14; pale buff or creamy; average size 2.10 X 1.60.
This most beautiful of Ducks seems to be dressed in a
studied attire, to which the addition of a flowing crest adds a
finish of peculiar elegance ; and hence Linnzus has dignified
the species with the title of sfonsa, or the bride. This splen-
did bird is peculiar to America, but extends its residence from
the cold regions of Hudson Bay, in the 54th parallel, to Mexico
318 SWIMMERS,
and the Antilles. Throughout a great part of this vast space,
or at least as far south as Florida and the Mississippi Terri-
tory, the Summer Duck is known to breed. In the interior it
is also found in the State of Missouri and along the woody
borders and still streams which flow into most of the Great
Northwestern Lakes of the St. Lawrence. The Summer Duck —
so called from its constant residence in the United States — has
indeed but little predilection for the sea-coast, its favorite
haunts being the solitary, deep, and still waters, ponds, woody
lakes, and the mill-dams in the interior, making its nest often
in decayed and hollow trees impending over the water.
Though many migrate probably to the shores of the Mexi-
can Gulf, numbers pass the winter in the States south of Vir-
ginia. Early in February they are seen associated by pairs on
the inundated banks of the Alabama, and are frequent at the
same season in the waters of West Florida. In Pennsylvania
they usually nest late in April or early in May, choosing the
hollow of some broken or decayed tree, and sometimes even
constructing a rude nest of sticks in the forks of branches.
The eggs are yellowish white, rather less than those of the
Domestic Hen, and they are usually covered with down, prob-
ably plucked from the breast of the parent. ‘The same tree is
sometimes occupied by the same pair for several successive
years in the breeding-season. The young, when hatched, are
carried down in the bill of the female, and afterwards con-
ducted by her to the nearest water. ‘To these places, when
once selected, if not disturbed, they sometimes show a strong
predilection, and are not easily induced to forsake the prem-
ises, however invaded by noise and bustle. While the female
is sitting, the male is usually perched on some adjoining limb
of the same tree, keeping watch for their common safety. The
species is scarcely ever gregarious; the birds are only seen in
pairs or by families. The common note of the Drake is peed,
peet,; but when at his post as sentinel, on espying danger, he
makes a sort of crowing noise, like ’hoo eek, ’hoo eek.
The food of the Wood Duck consists principally of acorns,
the seeds of aquatic plants, such as those of the wild oat, etc.,
BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 319
and insects which dwell in or near waters; and I have seen
a fine male whose stomach was wholly filled with a mass of the
small coleoptera, called Donatias, which are seen so nimbly
flying over or resting on the leaves of the pond-lily. These
birds are therefore very alert in quest of their prey, or they
never could capture these wary insects. They are not uncom-
mon in the markets of the Eastern and Middle States, and
are justly esteemed as food.
Wood Ducks have sometimes been tamed, and soon be-
come familiar. They have even been so far domesticated
as to run about at large in the barn-yard like ordinary fowls.
In France they have also been acclimated and tamed, and
have bred in this condition.
The Wood Duck breeds from Florida to the lower fur countries,
— latitude 60° being the probable limit of its northern range, — and
winters in the Southern States and southward. It is common in
New England, and rare in Manitoba.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL.
ANAS DISCORS.
Cuar. Back mottled reddish brown, black, and buff; forehead, crown,
and throat dark lead color; cheeks with tinge of lavender and a white,
crescentic patch between the eyes and bill; shoulders sky blue; wing.
patch green, bordered with white ; under parts pale reddish buff, more or
less spotted with dusky; bill black; legs yellowish. The female is mot-
tled dull brown and buff, and has an indistinct patch on the cheeks.
Length about 15% inches.
Nest. Amid a tuft of rank grass, usually in a wet meadow on the
marshy margin of a pond; made of grass and weed-stems and lined with
feathers.
Eggs. 6-12; pale buff or ivory white, sometimes with a tinge of green
when fresh; average size 1.85 X 1.30.
The Blue-winged Teal, according to the season, inhabits
every part of the American continent, from the plains of the
Saskatchewan and the 58th parallel to Guiana and the West
Indies. The breeding-place of these birds is, however, to the
320 SWIMMERS.
north and west; they are particularly abundant as early as
August in the Territory of Michigan, and Mr. Say observed
them there on the 7th of June, so that they probably breed in
the vicinity of the Great Lakes of the St. Lawrence as well as in
the remote interior of the Canadian fur countries.
These Teal arrive in this vicinity and other parts of Massa-
chusetts near to the sea-coast early in September, and accord-
ing to Wilson are seen soon after on the muddy shores of the
Delaware, where they are often observed basking or hiding in
crowded companies close to the edge of the water, where they
can only be approached under cover. They fly out with rapid-
ity, and when they alight, drop down suddenly among the
reeds in the manner of the Snipe or Woodcock. As the first
frosts come on, they proceed to the south, and then abound in
the inundated rice-fields of the Southern States, where great
numbers are taken in traps placed on the small dry eminences
that here and there rise above the water, to which they are
decoyed witli rice ; and by the common contrivance called a
Figure 4, they are taken alive in box-traps. In the month
of April they pass through Pennsylvania on their way to the
North, but make little stay at that season; they are seen also
in the spring in the State of Missouri, and spread themselves
widely to breed throughout a great extent of the western and
northern wilderness.
Though often contiguous to the sea, these birds have no pre-
dilection for visiting the shores, feeding chiefly on vegetables
and insects, and particularly on the wild rice which abounds in
the Northwestern lakes and sluggish streams. They are much
esteemed as game, and commonly become very fat. Their
note, which is somewhat like a diminutive quack, is uttered
low and rather rapidly.
The Blue-winged Teal is uncommon in New England and the
Provinces, and we must go to the region bordering the Mississippi
valley to find it in abundance. It breeds from the northern tier of
States northward, and winters in the Southern States, the West
Indies, and Central America.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
ANAS CAROLINENSIS.
Cuar. Upper parts and flanks dark gray and white in fine waved
lines; head and neck chestnut, with a broad green band on the sides;
wing-patch rich green and black, bordered with buff and white; a white
crescentic patch in front of the shoulder; under parts white, the breast
spotted ; bill black; legs leaden gray. The female is duller in general
color, and has fewer and less conspicuous markings. Length about 14
inches.
Nest. Amid a tuft of grass, — made of grass and weed-stems and lined
with feathers.
Eygs. 6-12; pale buff or ivory white, tinged with green when fresh;
1.80 X 1.30.
The Green-winged Teal, as a species, is common to the
northern and temperate parts of both continents. The Amer-
ican bird appears to be a permanent and distinct variety.
There is, according to Dr. Richardson, however, in the Hud-
son Bay Museum a specimen from the fur countries agreeing
VOL. I. — 21
322 SWIMMERS.
in all respects with the European species. Our variety is
abundant to the extremity of the continent, both in the woody
and barren districts of the remote fur countries of Hudson
Bay. It is also plentiful about Severn River, in the woods
and plains near fresh waters, where it breeds, the young being
about six or seven at a hatch. It feeds much upon fresh-
water insects, seeds, and aquatic plants, and when fat is deli-
cate food. In the autumn and winter it is very common
throughout the waters of the United States, both in the inte-
rior and contiguous to the sea-coast. In the course of the
winter it retires as far south as Jamaica, and is probably
common also along the coasts of the Mexican Gulf. It fre-
quents ponds, marshes, the reedy shores of -creeks and rivers,
and in winter is very abundant in the rice-plantations of the
South. The birds usually fly in small parties, feeding mostly
by night, associating with the Mallard, and are commonly
decoyed by its call.
The Teal is found in the North of Europe as far as Green-
land and Iceland, and it also inhabits the borders of the Cas-
pian to the south. In France and England it is said to breed.
It is commonly seen on the pools, in close companies of
ten or twelve together, frequenting the rivers and unfrozen
springs in winter, where it subsists on aquatic plants. It flies
very swiftly, and utters a sort of whistling cry. It breeds
in the fens, continuing in the temperate parts of Europe
the whole year. It conceals its nest among the bulrushes,
constructing it of their stalks and lining it with feathers ; it
rests also sometimes on the surface of the water, so as to rise
and fall with the flood. The female takes the whole manage-
ment of incubation; the males at this time seeming to leave
them and associate by themselves in companies. The Amer-
ican Teals in the autumn, which visit this quarter, are also for
the most part young birds and females, the males pursuing a
different route apart from the rest, and are rarely seen here
until their return in the spring.
The Green-winged Teal is abundant in Manitoba and the sur-
rounding region during the migrations, and numbers nest as far
GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 323
south as Lake Winnipeg. It is numerous also westward to the
Pacific slope, breeding in the mountain region of Oregon, and
northward to Alaska. In the East it is quite common during the
migrations, though perhaps more numerous in the interior than
on the lakes and streams adjacent to the coast, and breeding
chiefly in the Hudson Bay region north of latitude 50 degrees.
Being a ‘strictly freshwater bird, it is rarely found along the
sea-shore, though I have met with stragglers occasionally near
the mouths of streams which empty into the Bay of Fundy.
I cannot indorse Nuttall’s statement that the males are rarely
seen in the autumn in this region, though they do usually appear
in small flocks, and separated from the females.
This species ranges in winter from “ Kansas and Virginia south-
ward to the West Indies and Central America” (Chapman).
Nore. — A few examples of the CINNAMON TEAL (Azas cyan-
optera) have wandered from the Pacific slope to the valley of the
Mississippi and to Manitoba. Another straggler of this group —
the EUROPEAN TEAL (Aas crecca)—has been taken on the
Atlantic coast.
AMERICAN EIDER.
COMMON EIDER. SEA DUCK.
SOMATERIA DRESSERI.
Cuar. Back, cheeks, and wing-coverts white; top of head, wings, tail,
and belly black; patch of sea-green on sides of neck; breast rosy buff;
bill of greenish color, and with long wedges of feathers extending from
the forehead and cheeks towards the nostrils; legs dull green. The female
is nearly uniform dull brown, mottled with paler on the breast ; belly dull
white. Length about 25 inches.
Nest. Generally on a flat and grassy ocean island, often on a bluff on
the coast,—sometimes on a heath-covered moorland; a_ substantial
structure of coarse marine herbage thickly lined with down.
Eggs. 4-10; color varies from pale olive buff to bluish gray; 2.95 X
2.00.
The Eider Duck, remarkable for the softness of its valuable
down, seems thus purposely provided by Nature with a clothing
suited to the inclement regions in which it generally dwells.
Living mostly out at sea, it is thus enabled to endure the sever-
AMERICAN EIDER. 395
ity of the glacial regions, for which it has such a predilection.
The older birds are indeed only partially migratory, moving no
farther southward in winter than to permanent open water. The
presence of these birds, with a few others of like habits and
hardihood, contributes to give an air of animation to the bleak
and dreary coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergen. They are found
throughout Arctic America, and in severe winters sometimes
wander as far south to sea as the capes of the Delaware. In the
depth of winter, or from November to the middle of February,
the old birds are also usually seen in small numbers towards the
extremities of Massachusetts Bay and along the coast of Maine.
A few pairs even have been known to breed on some rocky
islands beyond Portland. Mr. Audubon found several nesting
on the isle of Grand Menan, in the Bay of Fundy; but on the
bleak and wintry coast of Labrador they were seen by him in
abundance, nesting and laying from April to the last of May.
The nest was usually placed under the shelter of a low pros-
trate branched and dwarf fir (probably Pinus Banksiana),
and sometimes several are made under the same bush within a
foot or two of each other. The groundwork of the nest, as
usual, was sea-weeds and moss, but the down of the female
parent is only added when all the eggs are laid. The Duck,
now acquiring an attachment for her eggs, was-at this time
easily approached, her flight being even and rather slow. As
soon as the task of incubation has commenced, the males leave
the land, and associate together in large flocks out at sea, in
July begin to moult, and in August become so bare as to be
scarcely able to rise out of the water.
As soon as the young are hatched they are led to the water
by their attentive parent, and there remain, excepting in the
night and in tempestuous weather. Their greatest enemy,
besides man, is the Saddle-back Gull (Larus marinus) ; they,
however, elude his pursuit by diving, at which both old and
young are very expert. The down, though so valuable, is
neglected in Labrador. It is so light and elastic that two or
three pounds of it, pressed into a ball that may be held in the
hand, will swell out to such an extent as to fill and distend the
326 SWIMMERS.
foot-covering of a large bed. The best kind, termed live
down, is that which the Eider plucks to line the nest; the
down taken from the dead bird is greatly inferior, and it is
rare that so valuable a bird is now killed for the purpose. To
augment the quantity of down from the same bird, the eggs,
which are very palatable, are taken, and the female again strips
herself to cover the second and smaller hatch. If the nest be
a second time plundered, as the female can furnish no addi-
tional lining, the male now lends his aid and strips the cov-
eted down from his breast, which is well known by its paler
color. The last laying, of only two or three eggs, is always
left, to kindle the parents’ hopes of progeny ; for if this be taken
they will abandon the place, but thus indulged, they continue te
return the following year, accompanied by their young. The
most southern breeding-place of this species in Europe is the
Ferne Isles, on the coast of Northumberland ; and voyagers
who have ventured to the dreary extremity of Arctic Europe,
hear, in summer, from the caverns and rocks of the final cape,
the deep moan of the complaining Eider. In Norway and
Iceland the Eider districts are considered as valuable property,
carefully preserved, and transmitted by inheritance. There
are spots that contain many hundreds of these nests; and the
Icelanders are at the utmost pains to invite the Eiders each
into his own estate ; and when they perceive that they begin
to frequent some of the islets which maintain herds, they soon
remove the cattle and dogs to the mainland, to procure the
Eiders an undisturbed retreat; and to accommodate them,
sometimes cut out holes in rows on the smooth, sloping banks,
of which, to save themselves trouble, they willingly take pos-
session and form their nests. These people have even made
many small islands for this purpose by disjoining promontories
from the continent. It is in these retreats of peace and soli-
tude that the Eiders love to settle; though they are not
averse to nestle near habitations if they experience no moles-
tation. ‘A person,” says Horrebow, “as I myself have wit-
nessed, may walk among these birds while they are sitting, and
not scare them; he may even take the eggs, and yet they will
AMERICAN EIDER. 327
renew their laying as often as three times.”’ According to the
relation of Sir George Mackenzie, on the 8th of June, at Vidée,
the Eider Ducks, at all other times of the year perfectly wild,
had now assembled in great numbers to nestle. The boat by
which the party approached the shore passed through multi-
tudes of these beautiful fowls, which scarcely gave themselves
the trouble to go out of the way. ‘ Between the landing-place
and the governor’s house the ground was strewed with them,
and it required some caution to avoid treading on the nests.
The drakes were walking about uttering a sound very like the
cooing of Doves, and were even more familiar than the common
Domestic Ducks. All round the house, on the garden wall, on
the roofs, and even -in the inside of the houses and in the
chapel were numbers of Ducks sitting on their nests. Such as
had not been long on the nest generally left it on being
approached ; but those that had more than one or two eggs
sat perfectly quiet, suffering us to touch them, and sometimes
making a gentle use of their bills to remove our hands. When
a drake happens to be near his mate, he is extremely agitated
when any one approaches her. He passes and repasses be-
tween her and the object of his suspicion, raising his head and
cooing.”
One female, during the whole time of laying, generally gives
half a pound of neat down, and double that quantity before
cleansing. According to Troil, in the year 1750 the Iceland
Company sold as much of this article as amounted to £850
sterling, besides deducting what was sent directly to Gluckstad.
At the time of pairing, according to Brunnich and Skiolde-
brand, the male is heard continually calling out with a raucous
and moaning voice ’4a ho, "ha ho; but the cry of the female
resembles that of the Common Duck. At this exciting period
the males, more numerous than their mates, have sharp con-
tests with each other, and the vanquished and superannuated
are afterwards seen wandering about at sea in much milder
climates than the rest of their fraternity. Both birds labor in
concert while forming the nest, and though the male gives no
assistance in hatching, during the period of laying he keeps
328 SWIMMERS.
strict watch in the vicinity, giving notice of any danger as soon
as it appears. The Ravens, it seems, no less than the Gulls,
are the enemies of this valuable bird, often sucking the eggs
and killing the young; the female therefore hastens to convey
her brood to the sea, sometimes even carrying them on her
back to the element in which they are thenceforth destined to
live. The male now also leaves her, and neither of them
returns more that season permanently to the land. Several
hatches associate together at sea and form flocks of twenty or
thirty, attended by the females, who lead them, and are seen
continually splashing the water, to raise with the mud and sed-
‘iment, the insects and small shell-fish for such of the young as
are too weak to dive for themselves.
The Eider dives deep after fry, and feeds upon small
shell-fish, mussels, and univalves, and sometimes on the sea-
urchin (4chinus) and various kinds of marine insects and sea-
weeds, and in summer mostly on the soft mollusca so abund-
ant in the Arctic and hyperboreal seas. Its flesh is dark and
fishy, though sufficiently tender, and that of the young and the
female may be considered good. It is commonly eaten by the
Greenlanders, and its skin is esteemed as an excellent inner
garment. Prepared with the feathers left on, it also forms an
article of commerce with the North, and particularly with the
Chinese. Fitted purposely for inhabiting the coldest climates
and the sea, the Eider does not long survive in temperate re-
gions, and all attempts to domesticate it have consequently
failed.
In the breeding-season, in Norway, some of the male Eiders
are seen roaming about unpaired, either superannuated or un-
able to keep possession of the females. Mr. Audubon remarks
that the Sea Ducks (Eiders, Surf Duck, Velvet, and Scoter)
moult in July, and by the roth of August are so naked of
feathers, and even destitute of quills, as to be unable to rise
either from the water or the ground. At this juncture, in the
Bay of Fundy, the Indians in large companies assemble in
their canoes at the entrances of the bays frequented by these
birds, and dividing themselves on either side of the headland,
KING EIDER. 329
fire blank charges and hooting and yelling as loud as pos-
sible, drive the terrified birds into the cove at high-tide,
where the natives remain until the ebb. The Ducks are then
left grounded on the naked coast, and are thus easily de-
spatched with clubs.
This Eider formerly nested on the islands in the Bay of Fundy,
but in recent years has not been known to breed to the southward
of the St. Lawrence, though it does not range north of Labrador
During the winter months it is found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
and along the Atlantic coast as far as Delaware. Examples are
seen occasionally on the Great Lakes.
Mr. Thomas A. Jaggar, who visited Labrador in 1890, told me
that he found a number of the nests of this species, and that they
invariably contained four eggs.
NORTHERN EIDER.
SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA BOREALIS.
Cuar. — Almost similar in coloration to S. dresser7, but differing in
the shape of the wedge-like characters of the bill.
Nest and Eggs. Similar to dresseri.
The birds found breeding in Greenland were formerly supposed
to be of the European race, —typical mollisstma ; but within a
few years it has been discovered that there was sufficient differ-
ence to warrant a separation, there being a slight distinction in the
coloration and in the shape of the bill.
In habits these Greenland birds do not differ from their more
southern allies. Mr. Hagerup states that large numbers winter
near the open water in South Greenland, arriving there chiefly from
the northward. They winter south to Massachusetts.
KING EIDER.
SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS.
CuHar. Top of head pearl gray, shading to deeper on the nape; a
black line bordering the base of the bill, which is formed like a shield;
cheeks white, with patches of green; neck, upper back, and shoulders
white ; lower back black; wings and tail dark brown; two lines of black
from the chin form a chevron on the throat; breast white, tinged with
330 SWIMMERS.
buff; bill and legs orange. The female has the entire plumage of two
shades of brown, the centre of the feathers dark brown, and the edges
rufous. Length 24 inches.
Vest. On an ocean island or sea-side cliff, sometimes on a dry hillside,
—usually a depression in the soil thickly lined with down ; often a high
structure of twigs and moss.
Zeegs. 6-10 (usually 6); green of various shades, with more or less
tinge of buff; 2.60 X I.go.
This species is an inhabitant of the glacial regions, living
generally out at sea, and feeding, independently of the land,
chiefly upon the mollusca which abound in the Arctic Sea.
It is never seen in fresh waters, and only resorts to land
for the indispensable purposes of reproduction. Being well
provided with a thick and downy robe, it is little inclined
to change its situation, however rigorous the climate; and as
the frost invades its resorts, it continually recedes farther out
to sea, and dwells securely amidst eternal barriers of ice and
all the horrors of an Arctic winter. The King Duck, still
more sedentary than the Eider, is seldom seen beyond the
59th parallel, except in the depth of winter, when, according
to Audubon, it is observed off the coast of Halifax in Nova
Scotia, Newfoundland, etc., and a few have been obtained off
Boston, and at Eastport in Maine. These birds abound in
Greenland and Spitzbergen, and visit and sometimes breed in
the Orkneys and other of the remote Scottish isles. A few are
also occasionally seen on the coasts of the Baltic and in Den-
mark. They breed sometimes in the crevices of rocks impend-
ing over the sea, making a nest of sticks and moss, lined with
down from the breast.
The flesh is said to be palatable, the gibbous part of the bill
being accounted a delicacy; and the down collected by the
Greenlanders is esteemed of equal value with that of the
Common Eiders.
The King Eider breeds in high latitudes, — north of latitude 73°,
— but a few pairs nest on the Labrador coast, and Mr. Boardman
says that nests have been found in the Bay of Fundy.
In winter these birds are found in South Greenland and along
the coast of New Jersey (sparingly), and occasionally on the Great
Lakes.
SURF SCOTER.
SURF DUCK. PATCH-HEAD. HORSE-HEAD COOT.
SKUNK-HEAD.
OIDEMIA PERSPICILLATA.
Cuar. Male: general color deep black above, paler below; a white
patch on the forehead and on the nape; bill mostly orange red, with a
patch of black near the base of the upper mandible, bordered by orange
and pale blue; lower mandible pinkish ; legs and toes orange, webs dull
green, claws black. Female: upper parts dusky or sooty brown; under
parts grayish ; bill dusky; legs and feet dull buff. Length about 19
inches.
Vest. On the margin of a lake or sluggish stream, concealed amid a
tussock of rank herbage or beneath a low branch, — made of coarse weed-
stems and lined with down.
£ggs. §-8; pale buff or ivory white; 2.40 X 1.65.
This species of Sea Duck, with other dark kinds here com-
monly called Coots, may be properly considered as an Amer-
ican species, its visits in the Orkneys and European seas
being merely accidental. It breeds on the Arctic coasts, and
332 _ SWIMMERS.
extends its residence to the opposite side of the continent,
having been seen at Nootka Sound by Captain Cook.
During summer these Ducks feed principally in the sea,
they also commonly frequent shallow bars and _ surf-lashed
shores and bays in quest of various kinds of small shell-fish,
for which while on our coast they are almost perpetually div-
ing. They begin to migrate southward from their northern
resorts in company with the Long-Tailed Ducks, at which
period the flocks halt both on the shores of Hudson Bay and
on the lakes of the interior as long as they remain open,
feeding on tender shelly mollusca.
The Surf Duck, or Sea Coot, breeds also along the shores of
Hudson Bay and in Labrador, and is said to make a nest of
grass, lining it with down or feathers, and lays from four to
six white eggs, which are hatched in the month of July. It
selects the borders of freshwater ponds for its eyries, on
which the young are fed, and protected until they are nearly
ready to fly. Although these birds extend their migrations to
the coast of Florida, they often continue along all the shores
and open bays of the Union throughout the winter ; or at least
parties go and come during the greater part of the period.
Early in May, or the close of April, they are again seen bend-
ing their course towards the North. They are shy birds to
approach, but can be decoyed by imitative wooden ducks of
the same general appearance. Their flesh, however, remark-
ably red and dark when cooked, is very fishy, and has but lit-
tle to recommend it; the young birds are somewhat superior
in flavor, but the whole are of little consequence as game,
though often eaten bythe inhabitants of the neighboring
coasts.
The Surf Scoter breeds regularly throughout Labrador and in the
Hudson Bay and Great Slave Lake regions. It is common on the
Atlantic coast and in Manitoba while migrating, and winters from
Massachusetts to the Carolinas and the lower valley of the Ohio.
oe
AMERICAN SCOTER. 333
AMERICAN SCOTER.
BLACK SCOTER. BUTTER-BILLED COOT. BLACK COOT.
SEA COOT.
OIDEMIA AMERICANA.
CHAR. Male: general plumage black, the under parts somewhat
brownish; bill black, with large patch of orange or yellow on upper
mandible; legs and feet black. Length about 20 inches. Female:
smaller than the male; plumage dusky brown, more or less mixed with
white on under parts.
West. On a sea-side cliff! or moorland bluff near a lake, — made of
coarse herbage and lined with down.
£ggs. 6-10; buff of various shades; 2.55 X 1.80.
This species, probably confounded with the Common Scoter,
is said to inhabit the shores of Hudson Bay, breeding between
the 5oth and 6oth parallels, but does not appear to frequent
the interior. It lives and feeds principally at sea, and its flesh
is rank and oily. The American Scoters visit the coasts and
bays of Massachusetts and New York in considerable numbers,
associating with the Surf, Velvet, Eider, and other Sea Ducks,
and are brought occasionally to Boston market about the first
week in November. While here they appear to feed princi-
pally on shell-fish, particularly mussels, and the flesh of the
young is tolerably palatable.
The American Scoter is not so strictly a sea-bird as Nuttall sup-
posed, for though common on the coast it is found also on all the
larger inland waters. In the A. O. U. “Check List” this bird’s
distribution is given as follows: “ Coasts and larger inland waters
of northern North America; breeds in Labrador and the northern
interior; south in winter to New Jersey, the Great Lakes, Colorado,
and California.”
In October, 1878, I shot a male near the head waters of the
Restigouche river, in the center of New Brunswick.
In habits this species does not differ materially from its allies.
334 SWIMMERS.
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER.
WHITE-WINGED COOT. SEA COOT. VELVET SCOTER.
OIDEMIA DEGLANDI.
Cuar. Male: black, with a broad band of white on the wings, and a
small patch of white under the eyes; knob on bill black, rest of bill and
legs orange. Female: sooty brown, paler below; head more or less
varied with white; wing-patch white; bill and legs blackish. Length
20 to 23 inches.
Vest. On the bank of a lake or sluggish stream, concealed at the foot
of a low tree or bush,— made of coarse herbage and moss, lined with
feathers; sometimes lined with down.
Leggs. 6-9 (usually 6); pale dull buff, varying to delicate cream color;
2.70 X 1.85.
The White-winged Scoter might be characterized as a Sea Duck
that retires inland to breed. It occurs in summer, and builds from
about latitude 50° to the fur countries, and winters on the Massa-
chusetts coast and south to Chesapeake Bay. Some few individuals
are found in winter on the Great Lakes.
The habits of these birds do not differ from others of the group.
Their principal food is mollusks, which they obtain by diving,
generally in deep water; and they are most active at night, float-
ing on the water asleep during a great part of the day. Their note
is a harsh ker-ker.
Note.— The European VELVET Duck (Ozdemia fusca)
wanders occasionally to the coasts of Greenland.
RUDDY DUCK.
SPINE-TAILED DUCK. BROAD-BILL DUCK. DIPPER DUCK.
ERISMATURA RUBIDA.
Cuar. Bill long and very wide at the end and deep at the base; tail-
feathers stiff and pointed. Male in summer: upper parts rich chestnut ;
crown and nape black; cheeks and chin white; rump and wing-coverts
grayish brown; wings and tail dusky; under parts silvery white, shaded
with dusky; bill and feet bluish. Male in winter, young male, and
female: upper parts dull grayish brown, varied with dull buff, top of
head darker; cheeks and chin dull white; neck brownish gray; lower
parts grayish white ; bill and feet dusky. Length about 15 inches.
RUDDY DUCK. $5
Nest. Inthe marshy margin of a pond or sluggish stream, amid the
rank herbage close by the water’s edge, — a loosely made, bulky structure
of reeds and coarse grass, lined with grass.
Z£ggs. ? sometimes 20; pale buff or dirty white, with a rough surface;
2.40 X 1.80.
This species, an exclusive inhabitant of America, retires to
the North to breed, frequenting the small lakes in the interior
of the fur countries up to the 58th parallel. On the sth of
August it was also observed by Mr. Say at Pembino, in the
latitude of 49°, where, no doubt, it also passes the period of
reproduction. These birds are very unwilling to take wing,
though they fly pretty well when once started. They dive
with the greatest facility, and particularly at the flash of the
gun, or even the report of the percussion-cap. When swim-
ming they have a habit of carrying the tail so erect that it
appears of the same height with the head and neck. Small
flocks, consisting of the female and young, are often seen in
Fresh Pond, in this vicinity ; but scarcely ever the adult males,
who seem to migrate usually apart at this season. They visit
us early in October, and in the course of the winter proceed
south to the extremity of the Union. On their first arrival
they are tame and unsuspicious; but the old males are ex-
tremely shy and difficult of approach. Their food appears
to be principally marine and fluviatile vegetables, and seeds,
for which they dive. Besides gravel, I have found in the
stomach seeds and husks of the Ruppia maritima. They
rarely, if ever, visit the sea, but are found towards the head of
tide-waters in estuaries and small ponds at no great distance
from the ocean. They are common in the markets of Boston,
where they are sold under the name of Dun-birds, and their
flesh is good and much esteemed.
The Ruddy Duck is said to be generally distributed over North
America and to breed throughout its range; but in the New
England States it occurs principally as a fall and spring migrant,
and a few individuals have been seen during the winter months. I
think they breed on the Grand Lake Meadows in New Brunswick,
for I have seen very young birds there.
’ The males are rarely seen in full plumage, in which they make a
336 SWIMMERS,
strikingly beautiful appearance, and the bird is familiar only in the
duller colors, worn at all seasons by the young male and female;
and in this inconspicuous dress these birds are enabled to avoid
observation by hiding in the rank herbage so common at their
resorts, and thus have gained a reputation for being rare, while
they are fairly common. They are known to be common by the
gunners of Chesapeake Bay, who take them to market, — their
food being chiefly marine plants, which they obtain by diving;
their flesh is tender, and of pleasant flavor.
CANVAS-BACK
AYTHYA VALLISNERIA.
CHAR. Mantle and sides silvery white, daintily marked with waved
lines of dusky ; head and neck brownish red; lower neck and breast and
rump brownish black ; wings and tail gray; under parts white; bill black;
legs leaden gray. In the female the head, neck, and breast are dull
brown; upper parts grayish brown.; belly white. Length about 22 inches.
Nest. In marshy margin of stream or lake, concealed amid rank her-
bage, — made usually of grass and weed stems and lined with feathers.
Leggs. 6-10; grayish olive, — sometimes tinged with drab; 2.40 X 1.75.
The Canvas-back, so well known as a delicacy of the table,
is a species peculiar to the continent of America. It breeds,
according to Richardson, in all parts of the remote fur coun-
tries, from the soth parallel to their most northern limits, and
at this period associates much on the water with the ordinary
tribe of Ducks. After the close of the period of reproduction,
accumulating in flocks, and driven to the open waters of the
South for their favorite means of subsistence, these birds arrive
about the middle of October seawards on the coast of the
United States. A few at this time visit the Hudson and the
Delaware, but the great body of emigrants take up their quar-
ters in the Bay of Chesapeake and in the numerous estuaries
and principal rivers which empty into it, particularly the Sus-
quehanna, the Patapsco, Potomac, and James rivers. They
also frequent the sounds and bays of North Carolina, and are
abundant in the river Neuse, in the vicinity of Newbern, and
probably in most of the other Southern waters to the coast of
CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 337
the Gulf of Mexico, being seen in winter in the mild climate
of New Orleans. In these different sections of the Union they
are known by the various names of Canvas-backs, White-
backs, and Sheldrakes. In the depth of winter a few pairs,
probably driven from the interior by cold, arrive in Massachu-
setts Bay, in the vicinity of Cohasset and near Martha’s Vine-
yard ; these, as in the waters of New York, are commonly
associated with the Red-head, or Pochard, to which they have
so near an affinity. Their principal food, instead of the fresh-
water plant Valisneria, which is confined to so small a space,
is in fact the different kinds of sea-wrack, known here by the
name of eel-grass, from its prodigious length. These vege-
tables are found in nearly every part of the Atlantic, growing
like submerged fields over all the muddy flats, shallow bays,
estuaries, and inlets, subject to the access of salt or brackish
waters. They are the marine pastures in which most of the
Sea Ducks, no less than the present, find at all times, ex-
cept in severe frosts, an ample supply of food.
The Canvas-backs on “their first arrival are generally lean;
but by the beginning of November they become in good order
for the table. They are excellent divers, and swim with speed
and agility. They sometimes assemble by thousands in a
flock, and rising suddenly on wing, produce a noise like thunder.
During the day they are commonly dispersed about in quest
of food, but towards evening collect together, and coming into
the creeks and river inlets, ride as it were at anchor, with their’
heads under their wings asleep; sentinels, however, appear
awake and ready to raise an alarm on the least appearance of
danger. At other times they are seen swimming about the
shoals and diving after the sea-wrack, which they commonly
pluck up, and select only the tenderest portion towards the
root. Though thus laboriously engaged, they are still ex-
tremely shy, and can rarely be approached but by stratagem ;
for even while feeding, several remain unemployed, and vigilant
against any surprise. When wounded in the wing, they dive to
prodigious distances, and with such rapidity and perseverance
as almost to render the pursuit hopeless. The great demand
VOL. Il. — 22
338 SWIMMERS.
and high estimation in which these Ducks are held, spurs the
ingenuity of the gunner to practise every expedient which may
promise success in theircapture. They are sometimes decoyed
to shore or within gunshot by means of a dog trained for the
purpose, which, playing backwards and forwards along the
shore, attracts the vacant curiosity of the birds, and as they
approach within a suitable distance, the concealed fowler rakes
them first on the water, and afterwards as they rise. Some-
times by moonlight the sportsman directs his skiff towards a
flock, whose position he has previously ascertained, and keep-
ing within the projecting shadow of some wood, bank, or head-
land, he paddles silently along to within fifteen or twenty yards
of a flock of many thousands, among whom he consequently
makes great destruction.
As the severity of the winter augments, and the rivers be-
come extensively frozen, the Canvas-backs retreat towards the
ocean, and are then seen in the shallow bays which still remain
open, occasionally also frequenting the air-holes in the ice,
and openings which are sometimes made for the purpose,
immediately over the beds of sea-grass, to entice them within
gunshot of the hut or bush fixed at a convenient distance for
commanding the hungry flocks. So urgent sometimes are the
Ducks for food in winter that at one of these artificial openings
in the ice, in James River, a Mr. Hill, according to Wilson,
accompanied by a second person, picked up from one of these
decoys, at three rounds each, no less than eighty-eight Canvas-
backs. The Ducks crowded to the place so that the whole
open space was not only covered with them, but vast numbers,
waiting their turn, stood inactive on the ice around it.
The Canvas-back will also eat seeds and grain as well as
marine grass, and seems especially fond of wheat, by which
it may be decoyed to particular places, after continuing the
bait for several days in succession. The loss of a vessel loaded
with this grain, near the entrance of Great Egg Harbor, in New
Jersey, attracted vast flocks of these Ducks to the spot, so that
not less than two hundred and forty were killed in one day by
the neighboring gunners, who assembled to the spot in quest
CANVAS-BACK DUCK. 339
of these strange birds, which were afterwards sold among the
neighbors at the low rate of twelve and a half cents apiece,
without the feathers. These Sea Ducks, as the gunners then
called them, — from the direction, probably, in which they ar-
rived, — were no other than the famous Canvas-backs, which
commonly sold in the Philadelphia market at from a dollar to
a dollar and a half per pair, —and indeed sometimes much
higher prices are given, when they are scarce, and considered
indispensable.
The Canvas-back is rare in New England and the Maritime
Provinces, and occurs in that portion of the country as a migrant
only; but it is abundant in winter on Chesapeake Bay, and breeds
in the fur countries, appearing in numbers, while migrating, in the
region of the Great Lakes. A few pairs breed in Manitoba, but
the bulk of the flocks go farther north, — as far even as Alaska and
the lower valley of the Mackenzie River. The breeding area may
extend farther to the southward than Manitoba, for Dr. Newberry
reported finding very young broods on the lakes and streams amid
the Cascade Mountains in Upper California, in which region Can-
vas-backs are said to be very numerous, — more numerous than
any other water-fowl.
REDHEAD.
POCHARD.
AYTHYA AMERICANA.
CHAR. Mantle and sides silvery white, varied with fine waved lines of
dusky; belly white ; head and neck rich chestnut ; lower neck, breast,
and rump black; wings and tail slate gray; bill dull bluish black, tipped
with gray; legs and feet leaden gray. In the female the head, neck,
and breast are grayish brown, and the markings on the back less distinct
and of a browner tint. Length 17 to 21 inches.
Vest. Amid the rank herbage in marshy margin of stream or lake, —
sometimes resting upon the water; made of grass and sedges and lined
with feathers.
Leggs. 7-14 (usually about 10); pale buff or creamy, tinged more or
less with olive ; 2.40 X 1.75.
The Pochard, so nearly related to the Canvas-back, with
which it generally associates, is common to the north of both
continents. It is abundant in Russia in rivers and lakes in
all latitudes, as well as in Denmark, the north of Germany,
and as a bird of passage is seen in England, Holland, France,
Italy, and in the course of the winter proceeds as far south as
Egypt. In the present continent these birds are found ta
REDHEAD. 341
breed in all parts of the fur countries, from the 50th parallel
to their utmost boreal limits, and, dwelling in fresh waters, are
seen to associate generally with the ANATINA, or proper Ducks,
taking to the sea in autumn with their broods, and appearing
within the limits of the United States towards the close of
October; they afterwards spread themselves over the bays,
rivers, and freshwater lakes at no great distance from the sea.
In the Bay of Chesapeake and its tributary streams they are
now seen in flocks with the Canvas-backs, and feed much on
the same kind of submarine grass, or wrack-weed, on which
they become very fat, and are in flavor and size but little infe-
rior to their companions, — being often, in fact, both sold and
eaten for the same, without the aid of any very sensible impo-
sition. In the months of February and March they are com-
mon in the fresh waters of North and South Carolina, where
many pass the greater part of the winter; they are also seen
at this season in the lower part of the Mississippi, around
Natchez, and probably accompany the flocks of the preceding
species near New Orleans. Brisson’s Mexican Pochard, de-
scribed by Fernandez, is also in all probability the same
bird.
The Pochards dive and swim with great agility. They are
in England sometimes taken in the decoy pools in the usual
manner of driving, but are by no means welcome visitors ; for
by their continual diving they disturb the rest of the fowls on
the water, and thus prevent their being enticed into the tunnel
nets; nor are they willingly decoyed with the other Ducks.
They are said to walk awkwardly and with difficulty. It is
also added that their cry more resembles the hollow hiss of a
serpent than the voice of a bird. Their flight is more rapid
than that of the common Wild Duck, and the noise of their
wings very different. The troop forms a close body in the air ;
but they do not proceed in angular lines or obey any partic-
ular leader, nor have they any call sufficient for the purpose.
On their first arrival they are restless and watchful, alighting
on the water, and then again wheeling and reconnoitring in
the air for some time, uncertain in tne choice of their move-
342 SWIMMERS.
ments. The only time when they can be approached within
gunshot, like so many other of the species, is about daybreak,
from an ambush or the shelter of some concealment.
In the London markets these Ducks are sold under the
name of Dun Birds, and are very deservedly esteemed as a
delicate and well-flavored game.
Although it has been said that this species will not live in
confinement, Mr. Rennie states that no bird appears sooner
reconciled to the menagerie ; and one in his possession which
had been badly wounded in tiie wing took immediately to feed-
ing on oats, and after three years confinement appeared very
tame, and remained in good health.
The Redhead is generally distributed throughout North Amer-
ica, but is uncommon or rare in New England and the adjacent
Provinces, while common to abundant on the Great Lakes and
westward. It breeds from Maine northward, and winters in Ches-
apeake,Bay, and south to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
While in general appearance this bird is so like the Canvas-back
that purchasers are readily deceived as to the species the market-
man is offering them, yet the difference is so pronounced that but
little care is required to select the more delicately flavored of these
cousins. In the Canvas-back the head is dark brown, — almost
blackish brown, —in contrast to the rich chestnut of the Redhead,
and the bill of the former displays more black color. The shape
of the head is different also, that of the Canvas-back being longer
and narrower.
. AMERICAN SCAUP DUCK.
BIG BLACKHEAD. BLUEBILL.
AYTHYA MARILA NEARCTICA.
CuHar. Male: head, neck, and breast black, with green reflections ;
back and sides white, marked with fine waved lines of black; rump, wings,
and tail brownish black; wing-patch white ; belly white, pencilled with
black; vent and under tail-coverts black; bill leaden blue, with a black
“nail” at the tip; legs gray, feet blackish. Female: general plumage
of upper parts dull brown; band of white at base of bill; wing-patch
and belly white. Length about 18 inches.
Vest. Amid rank herbage near a Jake or stream; a rude structure of
loosely laid grass and sedges, lined with feathers.
£ges. 6-10; pale buff tinged with olive,—sometimes tinged with
drab; 2.55 X 1.70.
This species, better known in America by the name of the
Bluebill, is another general inhabitant of the whole northern
hemisphere, passing the period of reproduction in the remote
and desolate hyperboreal regions, whence at the approach of
winter it issues over the temperate parts of Europe as far as
344 SWIMMERS.
France and Switzerland, and in the United States is observed
to winter in the Delaware, and probably proceeds as far as the
waters of the Southern States, having been seen in the lower
part of Missouri by Mr. Say in the spring. It is abundant also
in winter in the Mississippi around and below St. Louis. The
breeding-places of this bird, according to the intelligent and
indefatigable Richardson, are in the remote fur countries,
from the most southern point of Hudson Bay to their utmost
northern limits.
The Scaup Duck is said to derive its name from feeding on
scaup, or broken shell-fish, for which and other articles of sub-
sistence, such as marine insects, fry, and marine vegetables, it
is often seen diving with great alertness. It is a common
species here both in fresh waters and bays, particularly fre-
quenting such places as abound in its usual fare, and like
most of its tribe it takes advantage of the accommodation of
moonlight. These birds leave the Middle States in April or
early in May.
Both male and female of the Scaup make a similar grunting
noise, and have the same singular toss of the head, with an
opening of the bill when sporting on the water in the spring.
While here they are heard occasionally to utter a guttural
guanck, very different from that of Common Ducks. In a
state of domestication during the summer months, when the
larvee of various insects are to be found in the mud at the
bottom of the pond these birds frequent, they are observed to
be almost continually diving. They feed, however, content-
edly on barley, and become so tame as to come to the edge of
the water for a morsel of bread. Mr. Rennie adds, of all the
aquatic birds we have had, taken from their native wilds, none
have appeared so familiar as the Scaup. The flesh of this
species is but little esteemed, though the young are more
tender and palatable.
The Bluebill is well known to the gunners on the Atlantic, though
more common to the southward than on the New England shores,
and abundant in the Western interior. It breeds from about lati.
tude 50° northward, and winters south to Central America.
LESSER SCAUP DUCK, 345
LESSER SCAUP DUCK.
LITTLE BLACKHEAD. LITTLE BLUEBILL.
AYTHYA AFFINIS.
CHAR. Similar in coloration to marila nearctica, but in the present
species the gloss of the head is purple instead of green, and the flanks
are pencilled with dusky instead of being unmarked. Size smaller, length
about 16 inches.
Nest. Sometimes on an island, but usually in the marshy margin of a
stream or pond, hid amid the ranker herbage close to the water ; made
of grass and weed-stems and lined with down.
£ggs. 6-9; pale dull buff tinged with olive; 2.25 x 1.60.
The slight difference between this bird and its larger ally has
caused such confusion of the two that the distinctive distribution
and habits of the present species has not been determined. Both
are classed with the Sea Ducks, yet both build their nests by in-
land waters usually, and not on the sea-coast. The nests are gen-
erally by an inland stream, but Dr. Bell reports finding several on
Nottingham Island, in Hudson Bay.
Of the two birds the present is less frequently found on salt
water even in winter. During the migrations it is uncommon along
the shores of northern New England and the Provinces, though
Mr. Brewster considers it common on the Massachusetts coast in
the fall, while rare in the spring. It winters farther south than
does the larger bird, and is more plentiful on the streams and creeks
running into Chesapeake Bay than at any locality to the northward.
It is very abundant along the lower valley of the Mississippi, and
Dr. Coues reported finding it abundant on the upper Missouri.
Thompson reports it ‘an abundant summer resident” of Manitoba.
Audubon considered this species could be approached easily,
while feeding ; but the examples I have met with have been rather
wary, and though they rose from the water with difficulty, and
therefore rarely took wing, they generally managed to swim.out
of the range of my gun. |
Authors differ as to the origin of the name given to these birds,
some referring it to their fondness for mollusks, while others think
the cry is responsible for the name, which sounds like the word
scaup, delivered by a harsh voice in a screaming tone. The cry is
exceedingly discordant.
346 SWIMMERS.
RING-NECKED DUCK.
RING-BILLED BLACKHEAD. RING-NECKED BLACKHEAD.
MARSH BLUEBILL.
AYTHYA COLLARIS.
CHAR. Upper parts and breast black, deepest on the head ; an orange-
brown collar on the neck; wings slate gray, wing-patch bluish; under
parts white, flanks marked with fine waved lines; bill leaden blue, tipped
with black, and with subterminal and basal bands of pale blue.
The female lacks the collar and the waved lines on flanks; band of
grayish white around base of bill shading to pure white on the chin;
general tints brownish. Length 16 to 18 inches.
Vest. Concealed amid rank herbage in reedy margins of a stream or
pond; made of grass and lined with feathers.
Eggs. 6-12; grayish buff tinged with olive; 2.25 1.60.
The Ring-necked Duck is found throughout North America,
breeding from about latitude 45° northward, and wintering from
Chesapeake Bay and the lower Ohio to the West Indies. It does
not appear to be an abundant bird anywhere, but is more com-
mon along the valley of the Mississippi than near the Atlantic,
where it is so uncommon as to be considered rare by many local
ornithologists. Mr. Boardman writes to me that the bird breeds
regularly on the St. Croix River, and is not uncommon about the
mouth of the Bay of Fundy. I had met with it elsewhere in New
Brunswick, but considered it rather rare.
The habits of this species are similar to those of others of the
group. Its food consists chiefly of aquatic insects and seeds, varied
with such small marine animals as come within reach of its bill.
It swims and dives with ease, and its flight is strong and rapid;
and as it rises from the water with more ease, it more frequently
attempts to escape from a pursuer by flight than does either of its
congeners,
BUFFLE-HEAD.
DIPPER. BUTTER-BALL. SPIRIT DUCK.
CHARITONETTA ALBEOLA.
CuHar. Back, rump, and part of wings black, remainder of wing white,
varied somewhat with black; head black, with green and purple reflec.
tions ; a triangular patch of white from the eyes to the nape; lower neck
and under parts white; tail slate gray; bill leaden blue; legs yellowish
pink. Length 15inches. The female is smaller, with a general color of
grayish brown and a white patch on the cheeks and wings. Young birds
resemble the female.
Vest. Ina hollow of a tree or stump near a pond or stream, —a thick
cushion of down on a platform of decayed wood.
£ggs. 6-14 (usually about Io); ivory white or pale buff, sometimes
with a tinge of olive; average size 2.00 X 1.45.
This very elegant little Duck, so remarkable for its expert-
ness in diving and disappearing from the sight, is another of
those species, like the Golden-eye, to which the aborigines
have given the name of Spirit, or Conjurer, from the impunity
with which it usually escapes at the flash of the gun or the
348 SWIMMERS.
twang of the bow. In the summer season it is seen abundantly
on rivers and freshwater lakes throughout the fur countries,
where it breeds in June, and about Hudson Bay it is said to
make its nest in hollow trees in the woods contiguous to water,
—a provision of some importance, probably, from the impo-
tent manner in which the birds of this group proceed on the
ground. In autumn and winter these birds are seen almost in
every part of the Union, sometimes frequenting the sea-shores,
but more particularly rivers and lakes. They are observed in
Missouri, and on the Mississippi round Natchez. In February
they were very abundant on the river Neuse in North Carolina,
in the vicinity of Newbern, and used to dive very dexterously
and perseveringly in quest of their food, which at that time is
principally fluviatile and submerged vegetables, particularly the
sea-wrack ; they also sometimes visit the bays and salt-marshes
in quest of the laver, or U/va dactuca, as well as crustacea and
small shell-fish. They are often exceedingly fat, and in Penn-
sylvania and New Jersey are commonly known by the ridiculous
name of Butter-Box, or Butter-Ball. Their flesh, however, like
that of the preceding species, is not in very high request for
the table; but the females and young, which are almost the
only kinds that visit this part of Massachusetts in winter, are
very tender and well flavored.
In February, the males are already engaged in jealous con-
tests for the selection of their mates, and the birds are then
seen assembled in small flocks of both sexes. The drake is
now heard to guak, and seen repeatedly to move his head
backward and forward in the frolicksome humor of our do-
mestic Ducks; and by about the middle of April or early in
May every single individual will have disappeared on its way
to the natal regions of the species in the North.
From their great propensity to diving, these birds are com-
monly known in the Carolinas by the name of Dippers; when
wounded or hit with a shot, they will often dive or conceal
themseives with such art that they seem to have buried them-
selves in the water, and probably often remain wholly submerged
to the bill, or disappear in the jaws of a pike.
AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE. 349
The Buffle-head ranges over this entire continent, breeding from
about latitude 45° northward, and wintering from Massachusetts
and the Great Lakes southward; it is more abundant in the West
than near the Atlantic. Thompson reports it a common summer
resident of Manitoba.
AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE.
WHISTLER.
GLAUCIONETTA CLANGULA AMERICANA.
Cuar. Male: upper parts black, the head with green reflections; a
round patch between the bill and eyes ; wings varied with white; lower
neck and under parts white ; bill black; legs and feet orange, with dusky
webs. Length 19 to 23inches. Female’ upper parts brown, back, breast,
and sides varied with gray; belly dull white; wing-patch white; bill,
legs, and feet dull orange, webs dusky. Smaller than the male, — length
about 17 inches. Young birds resemble the female.
Nest. Ina hollow tree or stump, made of leaves and moss, and lined
with down. :
£ggs. 6-12; bright green when fresh, but fading to a dull ashy green;
2.40 X 1.70.
The Golden-eye is a common inhabitant of the boreal re-
gions of both continents, from whence it migrates’in small
flocks at the approach of winter, accompanying the Velvet,
Surf Duck, and Scoter in their desultory route in quest of sub-
sistence. On their way, soon after the commencement of their
adventurous voyage, these birds visit the shores of Hudson
Bay and congenial lakes in the interior, on which they linger,
feeding on tender and small shell-fish until debarred by the
invasion of frost. They breed in all parts of the desolate and
remote fur countries in great numbers, frequenting the rivers
and freshwater lakes, on whose borders they pass the period
of reproduction, making a rude nest of grass, and protecting
the necessary warmth of their eggs by a layer of feathers or
down plucked from the breast.
Although furnished with a remarkably complicated trachea in
the male, whence the name of C/angu/a, we cannot learn that
they ever possess any audible voice. When flusned they rise
350 SWIMMERS.
in silence, and we then only hear, instead of a cry or a quack,
the very perceptible and noisy whistling of their short and
laboring wings, for which reason they are here sometimes called
by our gunners the Brass-eyed Whistlers. In their native haunts
they are by no means shy, allowing the sportsman to make a
near approach, as if conscious at the same time of their impu-
nity from ordinary peril, for no sooner do they perceive the flash
of the gun or hear the twang of the bow, than they dive with
a dexterity which sets the sportsman at defiance, and they
continue it so long and with such remarkable success that
the aboriginal natives have nicknamed them as conjuring ot
“ Spirit Ducks.”
The food of the Golden-eye, for which it is often seen
diving, consists of shell-fish, fry, small reptiles, insects, small
crustacea, and tender marine plants. In and near fresh waters
it feeds on fluviatile vegetables, such as the roots of Agwise-
tum and the seeds of some species of Polygonum. Its flesh,
particularly that of the young, is generally well flavored, though
inferior to that of several other kinds of Ducks.
In Europe these birds descend in their migrations to the
South along the coasts of the ocean as far as Italy, where they
are known by the name of Quattr’ Occhi, or “ Four Eyes,” from
the two round and white spots placed near the corners of the
bill, which at a distance give almost the appearance of two
additional eyes. They likewise pass into the central parts of
the Continent, and visit the great lakes of Switzerland. They
are equally common, at the same season, in most parts of the
United States, as far probably as the extremity of the Union,
and early in spring they are again seen in Missouri and on
the wide bosom of the Mississippi, preparing to depart for their
natal regions in the North. Though they fly with vigor, from
the shortness of their legs and the ampleness of the webs of
their feet, the Clangulas walk badly and with pain; they ad-
vance only by jerks, and strike the ground so strongly with
their broad feet that each step produces a noise like the slap-
ping of the hands; the wings are also extended to retain an
equilibrium, and if hurried, the awkward bird falls on its breast
PL XIX.
1.Gadwall Duck. 3. American GoldenEye,
5. Surf Duck.
2.Scaup Duck. +). Harlequin Duck.
BARROW’S GOLDEN-EYE, 351
and stretches its feet out behind. Born only for the water, the
Golden-eye, except in the season of propagation, seldom quits
it but to dry itself awhile in the air, and immediately after
returns to its natural element.
The Whistlers are common throughout the country, breeding
from Maine and Manitoba to the lower fur countries, and winter-
ing from the Bay of Fundy to Cuba.
BARROW’S GOLDEN-EYE.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOLDEN-EYE. WHISTLER.
GLAUCIONETTA ISLANDICA.
Cuar. Similar to the Common Golden-eye, but the white patch on
the cheek oblong or pear-shaped, instead of round.
Vest. Ina hollow tree, made of twigs and moss lined with down.
£ggs. 6-10; bright green when fresh, but fading to a dull grayish tint;
2.45 X 1.75.
Barrow’s Golden-eye Duck is so much like the more common
Whistler that few but experts can separate them, the shape of the
white patch on the cheeks of the male being the only distinguishing
characteristic.
In habits the two species do not differ, but the present one is
found farther north, breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to
northern Greenland, and wintering to the Bay of Fundy, northern
New York, Illinois, and Utah. On the Atlantic coast it is rarely
seen so far south as Massachusetts.
I am inclined to question the statement made in “ The Water
Birds of North America,” that these birds “ undoubtedly breed ”
along the St. Croix River. An occasional unfertile or unhealthy
example may linger in the Bay of Fundy and adjacent waters during
the summer months, but no evidence has been obtained of an evi-
dently mated pair having been seen there. Neither Wilson nor
Audubon knew this bird, and Nuttall writes: “(It has hitherto been
found only in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains.”
HARLEQUIN DUCK.
LORD AND LADY.
HISTRIONICUS HISTRIONICUS.
Cuar. Male: upper parts chiefly bluish black, the wings varied with
white; wing-patch purple ; stripes of white on head, neck, and breast;
stripes of chestnut on sides of crown; breast and belly grayish brown,
sides chestnut; bill bluish black; legs and feet leaden blue. Length
about 17 inches. The female smaller and of a general grayish brown
color above ; band of white around base of bill; belly dull white.
Vest. Usually on the ground close to a stream, — sometimes in a hol-
low tree ; made of grass and sedges and lined with feathers.
£ggs. 6-10; warm cream color, often tinged with olive ; 2.30 X 1.70.
This singularly marked and beautiful species is almost
a constant resident of the hyperboreal regions of the north-
ern hemisphere, from which it migrates but short distances
towards more temperate latitudes, and is, as in Europe, a rare
HARLEQUIN DUCK. 353
and almost accidental visitor as far as the Middle States of the
Union. It is, however, more frequent in Eastern Europe up to
Greenland, and common from Lake Baikal to Kamtschatka.
Now and then it is killed in Scotland and the Orkneys. Dr.
Richardson found it to be a rare bird in the fur countries,
haunting eddies under cascades and rapid streams, where it
dwells and breeds apart from all other Ducks. In Kam-
tschatka it affects the same retired and remarkable romantic
situations. Like the Alpine Cinclus, it prefers the most rocky
and agitated torrents ; in such situations it has been seen in the
rivulets of Hudson Bay at as great a distance as ninety miles
inland from the sea. Here it seeks out its appropriate fare of
spawn, shell-fish, and the larvee of aquatic or fluviatile insects.
On the low bushy and shady banks of these streams it con-
structs its nest, and on the margins of freshwater ponds in La-
brador Mr. Audubon also observed this species; and he remarks
that, instead of rearing its young in the same situations chosen
for breeding, as with the Velvet and Surf Duck, it conducts
its brood to the sea as soon as they are hatched. Its flight is
high and swift, and it swims and dives with the utmost dex-
terity. So great is its confidence in the security of its most
natural element that on the report of a gun over the water it
instantly quits its flight and dives at once with the celerity of
thought. It is said to be clamorous, and that its voice is a
sort of whistle; the anatomy of the trachea is, however, un-
known, and we cannot tell whether this sibilation be really
produced from the throat or the wings, as in the case of the
Common Clangula, or Golden-eye.
Driven from their solitary resorts in the interior by the in-
vasion of frost, these birds are now seen out at sea engaged
in obtaining a different mode of subsistence. Amidst these
icy barriers they still continue to endure the rigors of winter,
continually receding farther out to sea, or making limited and
almost accidental visits to milder regions. When discovered,
they display the utmost vigilance, and instantly take to wing.
This bird is considered to be game superior in flavor to the
Common Wild Duck. From the singular and beautiful crescent-
VOL. Il. — 23
354 SWIMMERS,
shaped lines and marks which ornament its neck and breast,
it has probably come by the dignified appellation of Lord
among the fishers of Newfoundland. It is here too rare to
have acquired any particular name.
The Harlequin breeds from Newfoundland to high Arctic re-
gions, and winters south to the Middle Atlantic States and the
Ohio valley. It is common during the winter months in the Bay of
Fundy, and rare in Massachusetts and the Great Lake region. In
the Rocky Mountains it has been known to breed in latitude 49°.
The favorite resort in summer of these birds is on the swift cur-
rents of a rapid and secluded stream, or the surging pool at the
base of a fall. In winter they are found in the bays and estuaries
on the sea-coast. They swim buoyantly, and dive with ease. Their
flight is swift and powerful, and being shy and vigilant, they are not
easily shot.
I have met with these handsome waterfowl in winter only, and
in but one locality, — Mace’s Bay, on the western shore of the Bay
of Fundy. The Harlequins gathered there did not appear to be
the solitary and unsociable birds that many writers have repre-
sented them. I frequently saw flocks of ten or more, and usually
found these in company with Old Squaws, — their rivals in wari-
ness and rapid flight. When approaching the bar at Mace’s Bay,
on which during the gunning season there is generally a danger-
ous array of firearms, these mixed flocks slacken their pace for two
or three hundred yards, and when within range increase their speed,
and go over the bar so swiftly that but few shot hit them.
OLD SQUAW.
LONG-TAILED DUCK. SOU-SOUTHERLY. COCKAWEE.
CLANGULA HYEMALIS.
Cuar. Male: back, rump, and tail black, the central tail-feathers very
long ; crown and neck white; cheeks brownish gray, and below the gray
a patch of brown; breast and wings black, the wings varied with white ;
belly white; bill pale pink, nail and base black; legs and feet leaden blue,
the webs darker. Length 20 to 23 inches; middle tail-feathers 8 to 9
inches. The female has the crown and upper parts dark brown; a dark
stripe behind the eyes; under parts white; tail without long feathers.
Vest. Concealed under a bush, sometimes amid a tussock of rank
herbage, — made of a few weed-stems and some grass, and thickly lined
with down.
£ggs. 5-7; pale grayish green, sometimes greenish buff; 2.10 X 1.50.
This elegant and noisy Duck, known so generally in the
Southern States by the nickname of “South-Southerly,” from
its note, and in most other parts by the appellation of “Old
Squaws,” or “Old Wives,” is an Arctic inhabitant of both con-
tinents, and abounds in the glacial seas of America, where it
is seen commonly associated with the Eider, Surf, Black, and
other Ducks of congenial habits, who invariably prefer the
frail but, to them, productive dominion of the sea to the land
or its more peaceful waters. So strong is the predilection of
356 SWIMMERS.
this species for its frigid natal climes and their icy barriers
that it is seen to linger in the north as long as the existence of
any open water can be ascertained. When the critical moment
of departure at length approaches, common wants and general
feeling begin so far to prevail as to unite the scattered families
into numerous flocks. They now proceed towards the South,
and making a halt on the shores and inland lakes round Hud-
son Bay, remain until again reluctantly driven towards milder
climes. They are the last birds of passage that take leave
of the fur countries. Familiar with cold, and only driven to
migrate for food in the latter end of August, when already a
thin crust of ice is seen forming in the night over the still sur-
face of the Arctic Sea, the female Harelda is observed inge-
niously breaking a way with her wings for the egress of her
young brood.
According to the state of the weather we consequently ob-
serve the variable arrival of these birds. In October they
generally pay us a visit, the old already clad in the more daz-
zling garb of winter. The young sometimes seek out the
shelter of the freshwater ponds, but the old keep out at sea.
No place in the Union so abounds with these gabblers as the
Bay of Chesapeake. They are lively, restless, and gregarious
in all their movements, and fly, dive, and swim with unrivalled
dexterity, and subsist chiefly upon small shell-fish and marine
plants, particularly the Zos/era, or grass-wrack. Late in the
evening or early in the morning, towards spring more particu-
larly, vast flocks are seen in the bays and sheltered inlets, and
in calm and foggy weather we hear the loud and blended
nasal call reiterated for hours from the motley multitude.
There is something in the sound like the honk of the Goose,
and as far as words can express a subject so uncouth, it
resembles the guttural syllables ’ogh ough egh, and then ’ogh
ogh ogh ough egh, given in a ludicrous drawling tone ; but still,
with all the accompaniments of scene and season, this humble
harbinger of spring, obeying the feelings of nature and pouring
forth his final ditty before his departure to the distant North,
conspires, together with the novelty of his call, to please rather
OLD SQUAW. 357
than disgust those happy few who may be willing “ to find
good in everything.”” His peculiar cry is well known to the
aboriginal sons of the forest, and among the Crees the species
is called ’Hah-ha-way,—so much like the syllables I have
given above that many might imagine my additions no more
than a version of the same. But I may perhaps be allowed to
say that the notes I had taken on the subject were made two
years previous to the publication of Dr. Richardson’s “ Zool-
ogy,” whence I learn this coincidence of the name and sound
as given by the aborigines of the North. This Duck is no less
known to the Canadian voyagers, who have celebrated it in
their simple effusions by the name of the “ Cackawee.”
In the course of the winter the Long-tailed Ducks wander
out into the bays and inlets nearly if not quite to the extremity
of the United States coasts; and in the spring, voyaging along
the unruffled bosom of the great Mississippi with the many
thousands of other water-fowl which penetrate by this route
into the interior, we find among the crowding throng some
small flocks of the present species, who proceed as far as the
banks of the Missouri. In Spitzbergen, Iceland, and along
the grassy shores of Hudson Bay, they make their nests about
the middle of June, lining the interior with the down from
their breasts, which is equally soft and elastic with that pro-
duced by the Eider.
These birds abound in Greenland, Lapland, Russia, and
Kamtschatka, are seen about St. Petersburg, and from Octo-
ber to April many flocks pass the winter in the Orkneys.
They are only accidental visitors on the Great Lakes in Ger-
many and along the borders of the Baltic, and are often seen,
but never in flocks, upon the maritime coasts of Holland.
The flesh of the old birds is but little esteemed, yet that of the
young is pretty good food.
The Old Squaw breeds at extremely high latitudes, being more
Arctic iri its distribution than any other species of Duck. It win-
ters in numbers along the coast of south Greenland, and is common
all along the Atlantic to the Southern States.
358 SWIMMERS,
AMERICAN MERGANSER.
GOOSANDER,. BUFF-BREASTED SHELLDRAKE. SAW-BILL.
MERGANSER AMERICANUS.
Cuar. Head and neck black, with green reflections; back and scapu-
lars black ; rump slate gray ; wings brown, varied with white ; a black bar
across the white wing-coverts; under parts white, tinged with delicate
salmon pink, which soon fades after death ; bill bright red; legs and feet
orange. Length about 26 inches. The female is smaller, the head and
neck are chestnut, and the feathers of the neck are elongated to a con-
spicuous crest.
Nest. Usually in a hollow tree, — often in a wooden box set for its use
by egg-hunters; sometimes in a hole in a cliff or under a rock, or even in
an abandoned nest in a tree; made of grass, leaves, and moss, and thickly
lined with down.
Eggs. 6-12 (usually about 8); creamy white ; size very variable, aver-
age about 2.65 X 1.80.
The Goosander inhabits the remote northern regions of both
continents, being seen during summer on the borders of grassy
lakes and streams throughout the whole of the fur countries,
and is among the latest of its tribe in autumn to seek an
asylum in milder climates. It is said to breed in every lati-
tude in the Russian empire, but mostly in the north. It is
common also in Kamtschatka, and extends through northern
Europe to the wintry shores of Iceland and Greenland. Many
of these birds, however, pass the breeding-season in the Ork-
neys, and these scarcely ever find any necessity to migrate.
They are seen in small families or companies of six or eight in
the United States in winter, and frequent the sea-shores, lakes,
and rivers, continually diving in quest of their food, which con-
sists principally of fish and shelly mollusca. They are also
very gluttonous and voracious, like the Albatross, sometimes
swallowing a fish too large to enter whole into the stomach,
which therefore lodges in the cesophagus till the lower part is
digested, before the remainder can follow. The roughness of
the tongue, covered with incurved projections, and the form of
the bent serratures which edge the bill, appear all purposely
contrived with reference to its piscatory habits. In the course
AMERICAN MERGANSER. 359
of the season these birds migrate probably to the extremity of
the Union, being seen in winter on the Mississippi and Mis-
souri, from whence at the approach of spring they migrate
north or into the interior to breed.
The Goosander is seen to frequent the coast only in the
depth of winter ; and in its remote resorts in the North it fears
the cold much less than the ice, as when that appears, its sup-
ply of food is necessarily cut off. The extent of the breeding-
range of this species, as of that of many other retiring birds, is
yet far from being sufficiently ascertained. Early in the month
of May (1832), while descending the Susquehanna near to
Dunnstown, a few miles below the gorge of the Alleghanies,
through which that river meanders, near the foot of the Bald
Eagle Mountain, G. Lyman, Esq., and myself observed near
the head of a little bushy island a wild Duck, as we thought,
with her brood making off round a point which closed the
view. On rowing to the spot the wily parent had still con-
tinued her retreat, and we gave chase to the party, which with
all the exertions that could be made in rowing still kept at a
respectable distance before us. We now perceived that these
diminutive possessors of their natal island were a female
Goosander, or Dun-Diver, with a small but active little brood
of eight young ones. On pushing the chase for near half an
hour, the young, becoming somewhat fatigued, drew around
their natural protector, who now and then bore them along
crowding on her back. At length, stealing nearly from our
sight as the chase relaxed, the mother landed at a distance on
the gravelly shore, which, being nearly of her own gray color
and that of her family, served for some time as a complete con-
cealment. When we approached again, however, mother and
brood took to the water, and after a second attempt, in which
the young strove to escape by repeated divings, we succeeded
in cutting off the retreat of one of the family, which was at
length taken from behind a flat boat under which it had finally
retreated to hide. We now examined the little stranger, and
found it to be a young Merganser of this species not bigger
than the egg of a Goose, and yet already a most elegant
360 SWIMMERS.
epitome of its female parent, generally gray, with the rufous
head and neck and the rudiments of a growing crest. After
suffering itself to be examined with great calmness and without
any apparent fear, we restored it to its more natural element,
and at the first effort this little diminutive of its species flew
under the water like an arrow, and coming out to the surface
only at considerable distances, we soon lost sight of it, making
good its aquatic retreat in quest of the parent. On inquiry we
learned from the tavern-keeper that for several years past a
nest or brood of these birds had annually been seen near this
solitary and secluded island. In such situations, probably,
escaping the observation of man, many of these birds spread
through the country and breed from Pennsylvania to the
remotest parts of the Canadian. fur countries.
This bird is not found in abundance in any part of our temperate
regions, but it breeds (sparingly) about latitude 45°, and thence to
the fur countries, — probably to the limit of forests. It winters
from New Brunswick and Illinois to the Southern States.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.
SHELLDRAKE.
MERGANSER SERRATOR.
Cuar. Head black, with green reflections, the feathers of the nape
elongated to a conspicuous crest; white collar on the neck; back black;
wings mostly white, the outer feathers black; in front of the wings a tuft
of white feathers broadly edged with black; breast pale chestnut, streaked
with black; belly white; bill red; legs and toes reddish orange. Length
20 to 25 inches.
The female is smaller, and has the head and neck reddish brown, —
almost similar in coloration to the female americanus.
Vest. Generally on an inland island or the bank of a secluded stream,
placed under cover of a bush or rock, or concealed amid rank herbage;
usually made of grass, heather, or leaves, and lined with down. Some-
times the first eggs are Jaid on the bare ground, and down gradually
tucked about them.
Eggs. 6-12 (usually about 9); olive gray or pale drab, tinged with
green; 2.60 X 1.70.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. _ 361
This Merganser is again another general inhabitant of the
whole northern hemisphere, spreading itself in the summer
season throughout the remote fur countries and western in-
terior, from whence, at the approach and during the continu-
ance of winter, it migrates towards the sea-coast in quest of
open water and the necessary means of subsistence. The Red-
breasted Merganégers, equally common in Europe as in North
America, are seen as far as Iceland, breed in Greenland, and
inhabit most parts of the Russian dominions, particularly the
great rivers of Siberia and the waters of Lake Baikal. They
arrive about Hudson Bay in June as soon as the ice breaks
up, and make their nests immediately after, of withered grass,
and a lining of down or feathers from their breasts. The
young are at first of a dirty brown, like young goslings.
‘The breeding-range of these birds is no less extensive than
the preceding. According to Audubon they nest in rank
weeds on the borders of lakes in Maine and other parts of the
Union, and Mr. Say observed them on Lake Michigan in 42°,
on the 7th of June, assembled there, no doubt, to pass the
summer.
This species, like the rest of the family, dives well, and
dexterously eludes the sportsman when wounded, moving
about often in the greatest silence, with its bill only elevated
above the water for respiration. In the winter, while here,
these birds frequent the bays and estuariés as well as fresh
waters, and feed as usual on fry and shell-fish.
The Shelldrake breeds from about latitude 42° in the West, and
from about latitude 45° in the East, to the Arctic Circle, and spar-
ingly north of that line. It winters on the coast from south Green-
land to the Southern States.
It breeds in abundance on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick.
The female bears all the burden of hatching the eggs and rear-
ing the young, for she is deserted by her mate soon after she begins
to sit. She is, however, equal to the task, and makes a most duti-
ful mother. She sits patiently and very closely on the nest, never
rising from it until an intruder is almost within arm’s reach, and
then strives to decoy him from the spot. Soon after they are
hatched, the young are led to the water, and at an early age they
362 SWIMMERS.
swim rapidly and dive with great expertness, as I have learned
by experience. I paddled after a brood one hot summer’s day,
and though several times they were almost within reach of my
landing-net, they eluded every effort to capture them. Throughout
the chase the mother kept close to the young birds, and several
times swam across the bow of the canoe in her efforts to draw my
attention from the brood and to offer herself as a sacrifice for
their escape.
HOODED MERGANSER.
HOODED SHELLDRAKE.
LOPHODYTES CUCULLATUS.
Cuar. Male: upper parts black; wings and tail with a brownish
tinge; a triangular patch of white on the nape; under parts white, the
breast with two crescentic stripes of black, and sides varied with lines
of yellowish brown; bill leaden blue, with a white nail; legs dull red.
Length about 19 inches. Female is rather smaller; upper parts dark
brown; crest reddish brown; under parts white; breast pale brown.
Vest. Ina hole in tree, or stump, or fallen log, lined with grass and
leaves covered with down.
£ggs. §-15 (usually about 8); ivory white; 2.10 X 1.75.
This elegant species is peculiar to North America, and in-
habits the interior and northern parts of the fur countries to
their utmost limits. It is also among the latest of the ANATIDE
to quit those cold and desolate regions. It makes a nest of
withered grass and feathers in retired and unfrequented places,
by the grassy borders of rivers and lakes. According to Au-
dubon, it also breeds around the lagoons of the Ohio, and on
the Great Northwestern Lakes of the interior. On the River
St. Peters; in the 45th parallel, Mr. Say observed examples on
the 18th of July, —no doubt in the same place where they had
364 SWIMMERS,
passed the rest of the summer. At Hudson Bay, where these
birds arrive about the end of May, they are said to nest close
to the borders of lakes. ‘The young are at first yellowish, and
begin to fly in July. The Hairy Head, as this species is some-
times called, is rarely seen but in fresh waters and lakes, ap-
proaching the sea only in winter, when its favorite haunts are
blocked up with ice. It delights in the woody interior, and
traces its way up still creeks, and sometimes visits the mill-
ponds, perpetually diving for small fish and insects in the
manner of the Red-breasted Merganser. In the course of the
winter it migrates as far south as Mexico, is very common
throughout the whole winter in the Mississipi, and is rendered
very conspicuous by the high circular and party-colored crest
which so gracefully crowns the top of the head.
The Hooded Merganser ranges throughout North America,
breeding from about latitude 45° to the vicinity of the Arctic Circle,
and wintering from Massachusetts (sparingly) to the Southern
States. It is rather common as a spring and fall migrant in New
England and adjacent provinces, but breeds in numbers in the
northern portions of Ontario and in Manitoba.
Note. — The RUFOUS-CRESTED Duck (Vetta rufina), from Eu-
rope, has been taken near New York. One example of STELLER’S
Duck (Exiconetta steller’), a North Pacific species, has also wan-
dered from its usual habitat and been captured in Greenland.
The MAskED Duck (Momonyx dominicus), a tropical bird,
occurs occasionally on the lakes of the interior, but cannot be
regarded as more than a straggler.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
PLECANUS ERYTHRORHYNCHOS.
CuHaR. General color whife, the breast and nape washed with pale
yellow; wings mostly black; bill long. the lower mandible connected
with a larger gular sac; bill and sac reddish in life, but fading to yellow-
ish after death ; legs and feet orange. Length about 5 feet.
Nest. Usually on the beach of an island in a large lake, —a loosely
built structure of twigs on the top ofa mound of gravel and sand.
ges. 1-4 (usually 2); white, with a rough chalk-like surface ; 3.35 X
2.20.
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 365
‘
The Pelican, the largest of web-footed water-fowl, known
from the earliest times, has long held a fabulous celebrity for
a maternal tenderness that went so far as to give nourishment
to its brood at the expense of its own blood. Its industry
and success as a fisher allows of a more natural and grateful
aliment for its young; and pressing the well-stored pouch to
its breast, it regurgitates the contents before them, without
staining its immaculate robe with a wound.
If, indeed, authors do not include more than a single species
in the P. onocrotalus, no bird wanders so widely or inhabits
such a diversity of climates as the Common Pelican. In the
cooler parts of Europe it is, however, seldom seen, being ob-
served in France, England, and Switzerland only as a very
rare straggler. It is likewise uncommon in the north of Ger-
many, though great numbers occur on the banks of the Danube.
This resort and that of the Strymon, also famous for its Swans,
are noticed by Aristotle. The Pelican is found in Red Russia,
Lithuania, Volhinia, Podolia, and Pokutia, but is unknown in the
northern parts of the Muscovian empire, being seldom met with
as far as the Siberian lakes, yet it is observed about Lake Baikal.
The lakes of Judea and of Egypt, the banks of the Nile in win-
ter, and those of the Strymon in summer, seen from the heights,
appear whitened by flocks of Pelicans. They are likewise com-
mon in Africa, on the Senegal and the Gambia, as well as at
Loanga, and on the coasts of Angola, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
They occur at Madagascar, at Siam, in China, on the isle of
Sunda, and at the Philippines, especially in the fisheries of the
great lake of Manilla. They are sometimes met with at sea,
and have been seen in the remote islands of the Indian Ocean,
Captain Cook observed them likewise in New Holland.
In America Pelicans are found in the North Pacific, on the
coast of California and New Albion, and from the Antilles
and Terra Firma, the isthmus of Panama and the bay of Cam-
peachy, as far as Louisiana and Missouri. They are very
rarely seen along the coast of the Atlantic, but stragglers have
been killed in the Delaware, and they are known to breed in
Florida. In all the fur countries they are met with up to the
366 SWIMMERS,
‘
61st parallel of northern latitude. Indeed, in these remote
and desolate regions they are numerous, but seem to have no
predilection for the sea-coast, seldom coming within two hun-
dred miles of Hudson Bay. They there, according to Rich-
ardson, deposit their eggs usually on small rocky islands, on
the banks of cascades where they can scarcely be approached,
but still are by no means shy. They live together generally
in flocks of from six to fourteen, and fly low and heavily,
sometimes abreast, at others in an oblique line ; and they are
often seen to pass close over a building, or within a few yards
of a party of men, without exhibiting any signs of fear. For
the purpose of surprising their prey they haunt eddies near
water-falls, and devour great quantities of carp and other fish.
They can only swallow, apparently, when opening the mouth
sideways and somewhat upwards, like the shark. When gorged
with ‘food, they doze on the water or on some sand-shoal pro-
jecting into or surrounded by it, where they remain a great
part of their time in gluttonous inactivity, digesting their over-
gorged meal. At such times they may be easily captured, as
they have then great difficulty in starting to flight, particularly
when the pouch is loaded with fish. Though they can prob-
ably perch on trees, which I have never seen them attempt,
they are generally on the wing, on the ground, or in their
favorite element.
In the old continent the Pelican is said to nest on the
ground in an excavation near to the water, laying two or three,
and rarely four eggs, which are pure white, and of nearly equal
thickness at both ends. The report that it nests in deserts re-
mote from water, and the story of the parents bringing water for
their young in the pouch in such quantities as to afford drink
for camels and wild beasts, appears only one of those extrava-
gant fictions or tales of travellers invented to gratify the love
of the marvellous. Yet so general is the belief in the truth of
this improbable relation that the Egyptians styled it the camel
of the river, and the Persians, Zacaé, or the water-carrier.
The pouch of the Pelican is, however, very capacious, and be-
sides drowning all attempts at distinct voice, it gives a most
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. 367
uncouth, unwieldy, and grotesque figure to the bird with which
it is associated. The French very justly nickname these birds
Grand-gosiers, or Great-throats; and as this monstrous en-
largement of the gullet is capable of holding a dozen quarts
of water, an idea may be formed of the quantity of fish they
can scoop when let loose among a shoal of pilchards or other
fish, which they pursue in the course of their migrations.
The Pelican appears to attain to a great age. According to
Culmann, in Gesner, a tame one in possession of the Emperor
Maximilian, which is said to have followed him with the army,
lived to the age of fourscore.
It is remarkable that while the Pelican of the Atlantic and
the Pacific habitually frequents the ocean, that which so gen-
erally inhabits North America is rarely seen on the sea-coast,
and then only as a straggler, seeking, even at such times, the
protection of bays and rivers. Its habits are also essentially
different. It never boldly soars aloft, nor seeks its prey at sea.
The oceanic species is likewise seen in troops, sometimes fol-
lowing a retreating shoal of fish and circumventing their
escape by enclosing them as in a ring; at other times soar-
ing over their prey, these birds drop like a plummet, and
plunging headlong, cause the water to fly up eight to ten feet.
These and other actions foreign to our bird would seem to indi-
cate an original difference of race. Yet again we find them
on the old continent, principally upon large rivers and lakes.
The White Pelican does not occur regularly to the eastward of
the Mississippi valley, though numbers have at sundry times wan-
dered to the Atlantic, appearing all along the coast from Florida to
the Bay of Fundy, and I have examined one specimen that was
captured on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
It occurs regularly in the Mississippi Valley, and is common in
Manitoba. Small flocks are seen occasionally on the Great Lakes.
It winters on the Gulf coast.
368 * SWIMMERS.
BROWN PELICAN.
PELECANUS FUSCUS.
CuHar. Upper parts ashy gray; head white ; neck rich chestnut; wing-
coverts and rump brown; under parts brownish gray; bill brownish; sac
dusky ; legs black. Length about 4 feet. In winter the head and neck
are white.
Nest. On an island along the coast, usually on the ground, sometimes
in a tree; made of twigs and sedges, and lined with grass.
£ggs. 2-5 (usually 3); white, with a chalk-like surface; 3.00 X 1.95.
The Brown Pelican inhabits exclusively the sea-coast of the
warmer parts of America, being abundant in the West Indies,
particularly in Jamaica, Barbadoes, etc. ‘These birds are like-
wise common in the Southern States, abounding in the bay of
Charleston, where they are seen actively engaged in pursuit of
their prey. They likewise breed and inhabit in the peninsula
of East Florida, and occasionally wander up the Mississippi as
far as the river Missouri. They are, like the preceding species,
very gluttonous and voracious. After gorging themselves, they
retire to the rocks or islets, and during the process of digest-
ing their enormous meal remain dozing and inactive for hours
together, with the bill resting on the breast, at which times,
in South America, it is no uncommon thing for the natives to
steal upon them unawares and seize them by the neck, with-
out their making any defence or resistance. Yet, like some
other gregarious birds, they are said to show a great affection
for the wounded of their own species, to which they will carry
a supply of food. Father Raymond relates that he had seen
one of these Pelicans so well tamed and taught among the
aborigines that it would go off in the morning, and return
before night to its master with its pouch distended with fish,
a great part of which the savages made it disgorge, leaving it
in possession of the remainder as a reward for its service.
The Brown Pelican is common on the coast of the Gulf States,
and on the Atlantic to North Carolina. A few examples have
wandered as far north as Massachusetts and Illinois.
CORMORANT.
SHAG.
PHALACROCORAX CARBO.
Cuar. Prevailing color black, with metallic reflections of green and
purple, the mantle glossed with bronzy brown; the gular pouch bare,
and yellow in color, and at its base is a white band extending from be-
neath the eyes across the throat. During the spring the feathers of the
nape are elongated and form a mane-like crest, and white hair-like feath-
ers appear on the head; also a patch of white is worn on the flanks. Bill
black, shading to yellow at the base; legs black. Length about 36 inches.
Nest. Ina crevice of a sea-washed cliff, or on the flat beach of a lake,
or in trees by river, — made of large twigs, sometimes mixed with sea
VOL. Il. — 24
370 SWIMMERS.
weed and lined with grass or leaves. Usually the nest is the accumu.
lation of years, and becomes a heap of twigs, rotten at the base and
surmounted by a layer of fresh herbage.
figgs. 2-6 (usually 3); white, with a rough, chalk-like surface, the
inside of the shell sea-green or pale blue; size variable, average about
2.60 X 1.60.
The Cormorant, Phalacrocorax, or Bald Raven, of the Greeks,
like the Pelican, to which it is nearly related, is also a general
inhabitant of nearly every maritime part of the world, and even
extends its residence into the inclement regions of Greenland,
where, by following the openings of the great icy barriers of that
dreary region, it finds means to subsist and to fish throughout
the year. To the natives of this frigid climate it also proves
of singular service: its tough skin is used by them as gar-
ments, the pouch is employed as a bladder to float their fish-
ing-tackle, and the flesh, though coarse, is still acceptable to
those who can regale upon seal’s and whale’s blubber.
These uncouth and gluttonous birds are plentiful on the
rocky shores of Great Britain, Holland, France, and Germany.
On the shores of the Caspian they are sometimes seen in vast
flocks, and are frequent on Lake Baikal. They inhabit China
and the coast of the Cape of Good Hope, and are common in
the Philippine Islands, New Holland, New Zealand, and other
neighboring regions. At Nootka Sound and in Kamtschatka
they have been observed by various navigators, and are found
in North America from Hudson Bay and Labrador to the
coasts of Carolina and Georgia. They are not, however, com-
mon in the central parts ‘of the United States, though they
penetrate into the interior as far as the Missouri River. They
breed and are seen in the vicinity of Boston on bare and rocky
islands nearly throughout the year, and in all places appear
shy, retiring, and sedentary, enduring the most severe weather
with impunity, and only removing seaward or south in the’
depth of winter for the purpose of acquiring food. Mr. Audu-
bon found them breeding on the ledges of almost inaccessible
rocks at Grand Menan isle, in the Bay of Fundy. They appear
very wary and shy, and feed their young with great assiduity,
whose voice at this time resembles the hissing of snakes.
CORMORANT. 371
The Cormorant is a very dexterous and voracious fisher, com-
mitting great havoc when it visits pools and lakes ; but it almost
constantly resides om the sea-shores, and is seldom seen inland.
Swimming beneath the water with the velocity of a dart in the
air, and remaining a long time submerged, its prey scarcely
ever escapes, and it almost always rises with a fish in its bill,
to swallow which it employs the expedient of tossing it into
the air, and dexterously catches the head in its descent, so that
the fins lie flat, and thus favor the passage down the throat ; the
small pouch at the same time stretches so as to admit the whole
body of the fish, which is often very large in proportion to the
neck, and it there remains, undergoing a preparatory digestion
previous to its passage into the lower part of the stomach.
In some countries, as in China, and formerly in England, the
dexterity of the Cormorant, in fishing was turned to profit ; for
by buckling a ring about the lower part of the neck, to prevent
deglutition, and accustoming it to return with its acquisitions in
the bill to its master, it was made a useful and domestic fisher.
On the rivers of China, Cormorants thus fixed are perched on
the prows of boats, and at a signal made by striking the water
with an oar, they instantly plunge, and soon emerge with a fish,
which is taken from them. And this toil continues till its master
is satisfied ; he looses the collar, and finishes the task by allow-
ing it to fish for itself. But it is only hunger which gives activ-
ity to the Cormorant ; when glutted with its meal, which is soon
acquired, it relaxes into its native indolence, and dozes away
the greatest part of its time in gluttonous inebriety, perched
in solitude on naked and insulated or inaccessible rocks, to
which it prudently retires for greater safety from the intrusion
of enemies.
In Europe, where these birds are alike sedentary and averse
to migration, they are known to breed from the coasts of Hol-
land to the shores of Greenland, and they are equally residents
in America nearly to the extremity of the Union. The nest
is usually made with sticks, sea-weeds, grass, and other coarse
materials, commonly upon rocks, but sometimes upon trees on
the banks of rivers, where they are occasionally seen perched.
372 SWIMMERS.
According to Lawson, they are observed in great flocks in Caro-
lina in March and April, when the herrings ascend the creeks,
at which time they are seen on fallen logs in the water waiting
and watching the approach of their prey.
This species of Cormorant was formerly considered a common
winter visitor to New England, and nested sparingly along the
coast from Nahant to the Bay of Fundy; but during recent years
it has been rarely seen south of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, though
in winter a few examples wander as far south as the New Jer-
sey shore. Mr. Hagerup reports the bird a resident of Greenland,
being most numerous in the northern section.
Nuttall was mistaken in giving this bird a more southern range;
Mr. Lawson, whom he quotes, probably confused the present spe-
cies with its Double-crested cousin, — a pardonable error in one to
whom the southern bird was not familiar when in its winter plu-
mage, for at that season the two species are somewhat similar in
appearance.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.
SHAG.
PHALACROCORAX DILOPHUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color black, with green reflections, the back and
wings varied with grayish brown; gular sac orange; bill bluish; legs
and feet black. During the mating season the male wears crests of
long, thin plumes on the sides of the crown, extending from above the
eyes to the nape. In eastern or sea-coast birds these: plumes are black,
but birds taken in the interior have white mingled with the black, and
in Pacific-coast specimens the plumes are entirely white. Length about
32 inches.
Vest. Inacrevice of a sea-washed cliff, or on the beach of a lake or
on a tree by a river bank; made of twigs and grass, — sometimes entirely
of marine herbage.
Eggs. 2-5; chalky white and rough on the surface, with inner shell of
blue or green tint ; average size 2.40 X 1.40.
The range of this species extends from the Gulf States to Lab-
rador and the Saskatchewan valley, and its breeding area from
about latitude 45° northward. It winters north to the Bay of Fundy
(sparingly).
The Double-crested Cormorant is the common Shag of our salt-
water fishermen, and is numerous in Manitoba also, though rather
rare on the Great Lakes.
ALO:
4. Double-Crested Cormorant. 4. Puffin .
3. Brtinnich's Murre.
2.Loon. 5. King Eider.
MAN-OF-WAR BIRD. 373
In habits this species does not differ from others of the group.
It feeds principally on fish, which it obtains by diving from the
surface of the water. It is an expert diver, and strong, fast swim-
mer, and can remain under water for a very long period, coming to
the surface out of gunshot of a pursuer.
Nore.— The FLoripa Cormorant (P. adilophus floridanus)
is a smaller variety of the Double-crested species, differing from the
type in size only. “Length about 25 inches. It is restricted chiefly
to the Gulf States, though occurring occasionally on the Atlantic
shores of the more southern States, and along the Mississippi val-
ley to southern Illinois.
Another species, the MEXICAN CORMORANT (P. mexicanus),
occurs occasionally on the shores of the Gulf States, and has
been taken in southern Illinois.
MAN-OF-WAR BIRD.
FRIGATE BIRD. FRIGATE PELICAN.
FREGATA AQUILA.
Cuar. Prevailing color black, with reflections of green and purple.
Length about 4o inches.
Nest. On mangrove-trees near the shore, loosely made of twigs.
Eggs. Usually 1; white; 2.70 X 1.85.
The Frigate Pelican, or Man-of-War Bird, is chiefly seen on
the tropical seas, and generally on the wing. These birds are
abundant in the island of Ascension, India, Ceylon, and China.
In the South Sea they are seen about the Marquesas, Easter
Isles, and New Caledonia ; also at Otaheite. Dampier saw them
in great plenty in the island of Aves, in the West Indies; and
they are common off the coast of East Florida, particularly
around the reefs or keys, often assembled in flocks of from
fifty to a thousand. They are also not uncommon, during sum-
mer, along the coasts of the Union as far as South Carolina,
and breed in various places, retiring to warmer latitudes on the
approach of cool weather.
The Frigate Bird is often seen smoothly gliding through the
air, with the motions of a Kite, from one to two hundred
374 SWIMMERS.
‘leagues from the land, sustaining these vast flights with the
greatest apparent ease, sometimes soaring so high as to be
scarcely visible, at others approaching the surface of the sea,
where, hovering at some distance, it at length espies a fish,
and darts upon it with the utmost rapidity, and generally with
success, flying upwards again as quickly as it descended. In
the same manner it also attacks the Boobies and other marine
birds, which it obliges to relinquish their prey.
These birds breed abundantly in the Bahamas, and are said
to make their nests on trees, if near; at other times they lay
on the rocks. The eggs, one or two, are of a flesh color,
marked with crimson spots. The young birds, covered with
a grayish-white down, are assiduously attended by the parents,
who are then tame and easily approached. When alarmed,
like Gulls, they as readily cast up the contents of their pouch
as those birds do of the stomach.
The Frigate Bird occurs regularly off the coast of Florida, and
examples have been seen as far north as Nova Scotia, Ohio, and
Wisconsin ; but outside of subtropical regions it must be considered
an accidental straggler.
GANNET.
SOLAN GOOSE.
SULA BASSANA.
Cwar. Prevailing color white; head and neck washed with buff;
outer wing-feathers (primaries) black. Length about 34 or 36 inches.
The young birds are dusky brown, spotted all over with white.
West. Ona cliff of an ocean island, — made of sea-weed and grass.
gg. 1; chalky white, inner shell pale blue; average size 3.10 X 1.90.
The Gannet is another of the many marine birds common to
both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In the summer season these
birds are extremely abundant on some rocky isles in the Bay
of the St. Lawrence, and not uncommon on the coasts of the
United States, especially to the south of Cape Hatteras.
On the south side of Long Island and the neighboring coast
they are seen in numbers in the month of October associat-
ing with the Velvet and Scoter Ducks. In the summer
they also penetrate into the Arctic regions of both conti-
nents, are seen on the coast of Newfoundland, and occasionally
in Greenland. In Iceland they breed and are seen in great
flocks. They are also equally common to the northwest coast
of America.
376 SWIMMERS,
These birds abound in Norway and the Hebrides, partic-
ularly on some of the least accessible of the islands. Accord-
ing to Dr. Harvey, Bass Island, near Edinburgh, not more than
a mile in circumference, has in the months of May and June its
surface almost wholly covered with nests, eggs, and young birds,
so that it is scarcely possible to walk without treading on them ;
and the flocks of birds are so prodigious as, when in flight, to
darken the air like clouds, and their noise is so stunning that it
is scarcely possible to hear your next neighbor. Looking down
towards the sea from the.top of the precipice, you see it on all
sides covered with multitudes of birds, swimming and chasing
their prey; and if in sailing round the island you survey the
hanging cliffs, you may see on every crag or fissure of the
rocks numberless birds of various sorts and sizes; and seen
in the distance, the crowding flocks passing continually to and
from the island can only be compared to a vast swarm of bees.
The rocks of St. Kilda are no less frequented by the Gan-
nets, and Martin assures us that the inhabitants of that small
island consume annually no less than twenty-two thousand
young birds of this species, besides a vast quantity of their
eggs, these being, in fact, their principal support. This supply,
though spontaneous from nature, is not obtained without immi-
nent hazard of life to those who engage in procuring these birds
and their eggs; as besides climbing difficult and almost inac-
cessible paths among the rocks beetling over the sea, they
sometimes lower each other down from above, by ropes in
baskets, to collect their game from the shelvings and fissures
of the rocks chosen by these sagacious birds. The young are
a favorite dish with the North Britons in general, and during
the season they are constantly brought from the Bass Isle to
Edinburgh.
As might be supposed, the Gannets are in these islands
birds of passage, making their first appearance in the month
of March, continuing there till August or September, accord-
ing as the inhabitants take or leave their first egg; but in
general, the time of breeding and departing appears to coincide
with the arrival of the herring and its migration out of those
GANNET, 377
seas. It is probable that these birds attend the herring and
the pilchard during their whole circuit round the British
Islands, the appearance of the first being always esteemed by
the fishermen as a sure pressage of the approach of the last.
Gannets migrate in quest of food as far south as the mouth
of the Tagus, being frequently seen off Lisbon in December,
plunging for sardines.
In the month of August, Dr. Harvey observed in Caithness
their northern migrations; they were passing the whole day
in flocks, from five to fifteen in each. In calm weather they
fly high; in storms they proceed lower and near the shore,
but never cross over the land, even when a bay with its pro-
montories intervenes, but follow at an equal distance the
course of the bay, and regularly double every cape. Many of
the moving parties would make a sort of halt for the sake of
fishing ; for this purpose they soar to a great height, then, dart-
ing headlong into the sea, make the water foam and swell with
the violence of the concussion, after which they pursue their
route. With the arrival of the shoals of pilchards in the latter
end of summer, they are seen on the coast of Cornwall, and in
November, when the pilchards retire, the Gannets mostly dis-
appear, though a few linger on the coast throughout the winter.
An individual killed near Mount’s Bay made, as is common
with this bird, a long struggle with a water-spaniel, assisted by
a boatman, showing himself both strong and pugnacious, and
sufficiently redeeming on his part the Gannet family from the
ill-supported charge of cowardice and stupidity.
Many years ago a Gannet, flying over Penzance, and seeing
some pilchards lying on a fir-plank in a cellar used for curing
fish, darted down with such violence that it struck its bill
through the board and broke its neck.
These birds appear to have a strong predilection for particu-
lar spots. On the Gannet Rock, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
they are seen in amazing multitudes. This rock (according to
Audubon, from whom we derive the interesting information) is
four hundred feet in height, and several acres in extent on the
summit. At that time, the 8th of June, it was covered with
378 SWIMMERS.
innumerable birds upon their nests, so crowded or closely ar-
ranged as to give the appearance of a huge mass of snow, while
the hovering crowds seen around this inaccessible marine moun-
tain forcibly presented at a distance the actual appearance of a
snow-storm. While thus engaged, the report of a musket did
not seem in the least to alarm them; and defenceless while
obeying this powerful instinct, they allow themselves to be
approached and despatched without using any means for
escape, appearing riveted to the spot, while engaged in the
affections and cares of reproduction.
The nest of the Gannet is composed chiefly of sea-weed,
and generally placed upon the most inaccessible parts of the
highest rocks. The egg (only one being laid before hatching)
is white, and very like that of the Cormorant, but not nearly
so large as the egg of the Goose, weighing about three and
a quarter ounces.
The Gannet seems incapable of diving, — at least, no alarm
can force it to immerse. Upon the water it swims as buoyantly
as a Gull. When offered fish it will accept, but will never go
into a pond after food; and from every appearance of its
actions on water, to which it will go only from compulsion, it
cannot procure fish beyond the extent of its neck. At times
these birds rise from the water with so much difficulty that
they are easily run down by a boat; but when thus surprised
they defend themselves with much vigor.
Within a few years this species has deserted Gannet Rock, near
Grand Menan, though a large number still gather on the Magdalen
Islands, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They continue to breed
further northward, and in winter range south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr. William Brewster reports that in 1881 he found some fifty
thousand birds nesting on one of those islands, and describes the
number as astonishing and impressive, but insignificant when com-
pared with the legions seen there by Dr. Bryant some twenty years
before.
The food of this species consists entirely of fish, which it procures
by diving from the wing, plunging into the water from a great.
height, — sometimes a hundred yards or more. When pursued or
wounded, it rarely or never dives, trusting to its flight, which is
strong and rapid.
BOOBY. 379
BOOBY.
SULA SULA.
Cuar. Upper parts and breast sooty brown, more or less varied with
gray; under parts white. Length 31 inches.
4Vest. On an ocean island, sometimes on the ground, but usually placed
on a bush or low tree; rudely made of twigs and sea-weed.
£iggs. 1-2; chalky white; size very variable, average about 2.35 X
1.55:
The Booby is found to be an inhabitant of islands and deso-
late sea-coasts throughout all the warm and temperate parts of
the globe, and has acquired its degrading name from its silly
aspect and peculiar stupidity, suffering itself to be taken, not
only at sea on the ship’s yards, but also on land, where these
birds may be despatched merely with clubs and sticks in great
numbers one after the other, without seeming to take any general
alarm, or using any efficient effort for escape. The only cause
that can be assigned for this want of conservative instinct, so
general and prompt among most of the feathered tribes, is
probably the fact of the difficulty and almost impossibility of
setting their long wings into motion when they happen .to be
surprised on level ground, or fatigued with undue exertion.
The Boobies, however, have a domestic enemy more steady,
though less bloodthirsty, in his persecutions than man ; this is
the Frigate Pelican, or Man-of-War Bird, who with a keen eye
descrying his humble vassal at a distance, pursues him without
intermission, and obliges him by blows with the wings and bill
to surrender his finny prey, which the pirate instantly seizes
and swallows.
The Boobies, however, notwithstanding this tribute to their
marine monarch, contrive to obtain an ample supply of provi-
sion. They commonly hover above the surface of the waves,
at times scarcely moving their wings, and drop on a fish the
instant it emerges or approaches in view. Their flight, though
rapid and long-sustained, is greatly inferior to that of the
Frigate Bird; accordingly, they do not roam so far, and their
380 SWIMMERS.
appearance is generally hailed by mariners as an indication of
the approach of land. Yet numbers are not wanting around
the remotest and most sequestered islands in the midst of the
wide ocean. There they live in companies, associated with
Gulls, Tropic Birds, and their tyrannical persecutor, the Frigate,
who, appreciating their assistance as providers, dwells and rests
in the same retreats.
Among the Frigates, some (probably the males after incuba-
tion) live in societies apart from the rest, dispersed to situations
most suitable for obtaining pillage.
Boobies utter a loud cry, something in sound betwixt that
of the Raven and the Goose ; and this quailing is heard more
particularly when they are pursued by the Frigate, or when,
assembled together, they happen to be seized by any sudden
panic. As they can only begin the motion of their wings by
starting from some lofty station, they usually perch like Cormo-
rants, and in flying stretch out the neck and display the tail.
According to Dampier, in the Isle of Aves these birds breed
on trees, though in other places they nestle on the ground, and
always associate in numbers in the same place. They lay one
or two eggs, and the young continue for a long time covered
for the most part with a very soft and white down. The flesh
is black and unsavory, yet sailors frequently make a meal of
it. In summer they are not uncommon on the coasts of the
Southern States.
The Booby is chiefly restricted to the tropical or sub-tropical
seas, but an occasional example wanders as far north as off the
coast of Georgia.
Note. — The BLUE-FACED Boosy (Sw/a cyanops) and the RED-
FOOTED Boosy (Sula piscator) occasionally straggle north to the
Florida waters; and the ANHINGA (Anhinga anhinga), also a trop-
ical bird, has been taken off North Carolina and on the Mississippi
River. :
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RED-BILLED TROPIC BIRD.
PHAETHON ZTHEREUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color white; the upper parts varied with blackish ;
a stripe on the sides of the head, and the outer wing-feathers deep black;
bill deep red; legs yellow, toes black. Length, including elongated tail-
feathers, about 33 inches; the tail-feathers measure about 20 inches.
Vest. Ina hole or crevice of a sea-washed cliff, — sometimes slightly
lined with twigs and coarse herbage.
£gg. 1; purplish white or creamy white, with a delicate purple tinge,
and marked with fine spots of rich brown; 2.26 X 1.60.
The Tropic Bird, soaring perpetually over the tepid seas,
where it dwells without materially straying beyond the verge
of the ecliptic, seems to attend the car of the sun under the
382 RED-BILLED TROPIC BIRD.
mild zone of the tropics, and advertises the mariner with un-
erring certainty of his entrance within the torrid climes. Yet
though generally confined to these more favored solar realms,
which it widely explores to their utmost bounds, it sometimes
strays beyond the favorite limit, and hence we have given it
a place among the oceanic birds which stray in summer to the
coasts of the warmer States.
The flight of the Tropic Bird is often conducted to a pro-
digious height, at which in every season it can obtain a tem-
perature of the most delightful kind. At other times, affected
by the ordinary wants of nature, it descends from its lofty
station, and accompanied by an ignoble throng of Frigates,
Pelicans, and Boobies, it attends the appearance of the flying-
fish as they emerge from the water, pursued by their enemies
of the deep. ‘These birds are sometimes observed to rest on
the surface of the sea, and have been seen in calm weather
upon the backs of the drowsy tortoises supinely floating, so that
they have been easily taken by allowing the approach of a
boat. On shore they will perch on trees, and are said to breed
on the ground beneath the shade of the adjoining woods.
They are met with on the islands of St. Helena, Ascension,
Mauritius, New Holland, and in various parts of the South
Seas, but in no place are they so numerous as at Palmerston
Island, where, along with the Frigates, they have been seen in
such plenty that the trees were absolutely loaded with them,
and so tame or listless that they suffered themselves to be taken
from the boughs by hand. In the Sandwich and Friendly
Islands, where they also abound, the natives set a high value
on the long tail-feathers, made use of by way of ornament, and
in Otaheite they form a conspicuous part of the ostentatious
garment worn by mourners. The flesh, though often eaten by
mariners, cannot be accounted good.
This cannot be considered more than an accidental straggler to
Northern waters, though examples have been taken as far north as
the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
NotE.— The YELLOW-BILLED Tropic BirD (?. flavirostris)
has been taken in Western New York.
HORNED GREBE.
SPIRIT DUCK. HELL DIVER. DUSKY GREBE.
COLYMBUS AURITUS.
Cuar. Upper parts dull brown, the feathers paler on the edges; head
darker; breast rufous; wings varied with white; lower parts silvery
white. Length about 14 inches. In the mating season the sides of the
head are adorned with crests (horns) of short feathers of black color.
West. Amid the rank herbage on reedy margin of a lake,— usually
fastened to rushes and floating on the surface of shallow water; a mass
of dried stems of rushes and coarse sedges.
&ggs. 2-7 (usually 4); bluish white, stained with brown; 1.80 X 1.20.
The Horned Grebe is an inhabitant of the northern regions
of both continents, being very common in the summer season
throughout the Hudson Bay fur countries, frequenting almost
every lake with grassy borders, in which seclusion, about the
month of June, it constructs its nest of coarse herbage, which,
left afloat, is sometimes moored to the surrounding reeds and
rushes. The eggs are white, spotted, and, as it were, soiled
with brown; in order to hide them from its enemies, it has
the habit of covering them while abroad. In the autumn these
birds retire to the South, appearing in Massachusetts, some-
384 DIVERS.
times, in the small freshwater lakes near the ocean. At a later
period they retire still farther, being very common in the Middle
and Southern States, where they are known, with other species,
by the name of Dippers and Water Witches. The Indians of
Hudson Bay give the Horned Grebe the name of Seekeep.
While here, they keep generally in the salt water, swimming
and diving with great agility and elegance, and these are almost
universally young birds, the old ones keeping probably more
inland in their migrations towards the South. In most of the
individuals which have fallen under my notice, the stomach,
like a pouch in form, has been generally swelled out with its
own feathers, apparently bent and masticated before swallowing ;
the birds had been feeding on minute eels and coleopterous
insects, and had, besides the matted feathers plucked from the
breast, a quantity of sand and gravel. The appetite of this
Grebe is, indeed, keen and little scrupulous, — for which, some-
times it pays a dear forfeit, as happened to an individual seen
by Mr. N. Wyeth, which had its bill clasped in the shell of a clam
in such a manner as to disable it both from flying and diving.
This expert diver is a common bird throughout this eastern coun-
try, breeding from about latitude 45° to the higher fur countries,
and wintering from the Bay of Fundy to the Southern States.
HOLBGCELL’S GREBE.
RED-NECKED GREBE.
COLYMBUS HOLBCLLII.
Cuar. Upper parts dusky; head and nape black; cheeks ashy; neck
rich chestnut ; wings varied with white; under parts silvery white, varied
with gray. Length about 19 inches.
est. On the border of a reedy pond or sluggish stream, fastened to
the rank herbage, — made of reeds and sedges.
Leggs. 2-7; dull white, sometimes tinged with green, washed with
brown; average size 2.25 X 1.35.
The Red-necked Grebe, like most of the other species,
retires to the hyperboreal regions of both continents to pass
HOLBCLL’S GREBE. 385
the breeding-season, delighting in the seclusion of the desolate
wilderness, penetrating in the present continent as far as the
remote inland shores of Great Slave Lake, where individuals
were observed by Captain Franklin’s adventurous party in the
month of May. In the course of the winter these birds pro-
ceed to the South, probably as far as Florida, but are rarely seen
in the United States. At this season they frequent lakes and
the estuaries or rivers in the vicinity of the sea, but at other
times are seen more abundantly on fresh waters. They are
common in the eastern parts of Europe, and frequently visit
Great Britain, Germany, and Switzerland. Their food, as usual,
is small fish, fry, reptiles, coleopterous insects, and vegetables.
The nest is similar to that of the preceding species ; the eggs
number three or four, of a whitish green, and appearing as if
soiled with yellowish or brown.
The Red-necked Grebe breeds from about latitude 45° to the
higher fur countries, but is rather uncommon in New England and
the adjacent provinces, where it occurs chiefly as a winter visitor.
It is quite abundant in Manitoba.
In common with others of the family, this Grebe is an expert
diver. Often it will sink into the water without any apparent effort.
though more generally it jumps forward, throwing the head into the
water, and the body into the air. It is an expert and rapid swimmer
also, and all its movements on the water are extremely graceful.
When pursued, these birds invariably endeavor to escape by diving,
though when on the wing they fly rapidly, their necks and feet
stretched at full length.
It is said that the female takes the newly hatched young upon
her back, and swims with them in that position, feeding them, while
eating her own meal, on portions of the fish and vegetable matter
which she gathers.
VOL. Il. — 25
PIED-BILLED GREBE.
LITTLE GREBE. DABCHICK. CAROLINA GREBE.
PoDILYMBUS PODICEPS.
Cuar. Upper parts dusky, wings varied with ashy and white; under
parts silvery white, mottled with dusky; breast washed with rufous; chin
and throat black; bill short and thick, of a bluish white color, with a black
band across the centre. Length about 14 inches.
Nest. Amid the rushes at the edge of a pond or sluggish stream, —
made of coarse herbage lined with grass ; sometimes floating on the water,
fastened to reeds.
£ggs. 4-10 (usually 5); white stained with pale brown; 2.00 X 1.70.
The Pied-billed Dabchick is an exclusive inhabitant of the
North American continent, proceeding north to breed as far
as the remote fur countries of Upper Canada, a specimen hav-
ing been killed on Great Slave Lake by the exploring party
of Captain Franklin. It arrives in the Northern and Middle
States about the close of August, and is then seen residing in
our small freshwater lakes until the approach of winter, when
it retires probably as far south as the lagoons of the Missis-
sippi and the tidewater streams and bays of the Mexican
Gulf. It is the most common species in the Union, and is
met with in all the States as far as Florida, leaving those coun-
PIED-BILLED GREBE. 387
tries, however, for the North in the month of April. Most of
the birds seen in this vicinity are young or unadult ; they feed
principally on fish and aquatic insects such as large Mepas
and other kinds. They often swim about without appearing
to take any alarm from the peaceful spectator, but in the
next moment dive and swim under water for such a length of
time as to appear for several minutes entirely invisible ; and
at such times these Water Witches, as they are deservedly
called, are often moving about entirely submerged to the bill,
which is the only part elevated above the water; and in the
covert of the surrounding aquatic herbage this small project-
ing point is not only easily overlooked, but with difficulty
discovered. Like Ducks, they are also somewhat nocturnal in
their habits, and may be perceived after sunset in the dusky
twilight actively engaged, and swimming about the ponds with
great activity. While here they are not heard to utter any
note, and their breeding-places are wholly unknown. The
young are often eaten, and are generally tender and well
flavored.
The Dabchick is more abundant near the Atlantic than any
other of this group. It breeds in the Hudson Bay district and
southward, —its breeding area being laid down in the A. O. U.
“ Check List” as “nearly throughout its range,” which extends to
Chili and the Argentine Republic. It winters as far north as New
Jersey.
Since Nuttall’s day we have learned something more of the
breeding habits of this species, and modern observers are apt to
express surprise that the bird should have escaped the notice of
earlier naturalists. In habits the Dabchick does not differ materi-
ally from other Grebes.
LOON.
GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.
URINATOR IMBER.
f£HAR. Mantle black, spotted with white; head and neck black, with
green and purple reflections; throat with two bands of white stripes;
mnder parts white. Length very variable, ranging from 28 to 33 inches,
though specimens measuring about the extremes of this variation are
more common than those of intermediate length.
Vest. Amid rank herbage near the water, on the margin of a lake or
river, often on an island, sometimes on the sea-shore.
Leggs. 2-3 (usually 2); olive brown with a few darker spots; average
size about 3.50 X 2.25.
The Loon, the most common of its tribe in the United
States, is a general inhabitant of cold and temperate climates
throughout the whole northern hemisphere. It is found in
the north of Europe, and spreads along the Arctic coasts as
far as Kamtschatka, Nootka Sound, and the mouth of the Ob.
It dwells on the dreary coast of Spitzbergen, Greenland, Ice-
land, and Hudson Bay. These birds abound in all the lakes of
the fur countries, where, as well as in the interior of the most
LOON. 389
northern of the States, and probably in the inland seas of the
St. Lawrence, along the whole Canadian line, they pass the
period of reproduction. They have been known to breed as
far south as the Farne Isles, on the coast of Northumberland,
along with the Eider Ducks, with which they also associate on
the shores of Labrador. In the Hebrides they are common
in the summer season, as well as in Norway, Sweden, and
Russia, from all which countries they seldom migrate to any
considerable distance, being only accidental passengers on the
coasts of the ocean; the young only are seen, and rarely, on
the lakes of Germany, France, and Switzerland, but in those
regions the old are unknown. In the United States, from the
superior severity of the winters, the young, and even occasion-
ally the old, are seen to migrate nearly, if not quite, to the
estuary of the Mississippi.
The Loon, cautious, vigilant, and fond of the security at-
tending upon solitude, generally selects, with his mate, some
lonely islet, or the borders of a retired lake far from the
haunts of men; here, on the ground, contiguous to the water,
they construct their rude and grassy nest. About the 11th
of June, through the kindness of Dr. T. W. Harris, I received
three eggs which had been taken from the nest of a Loon,
made in a hummock, or elevated grassy hillock, at Sebago
Pond, in New Hampshire. These were about the size of the
eggs of a Goose, of a dark, smoky olive, coarsely blotched
nearly all over with umber-brown spots. The males, after the’
period of incubation, secede from their mates, and associate
by themselves in the bays and estuaries near to the sea. They
soon after moult, and become so bare of feathers as to be
unable to rise from the water. The young, after being duly
attended by the female parent, disperse with her towards the
sea. Instinctively warned of the approach of frost, they avoid
its consequences by slow but efficient migrations. As soon as
the fish begin to fail, the young, unable or unwilling to fly, are
sometimes seen waddling from one pond to another, and in
this situation are easily captured, as they refuse, or are inca-
pacitated, to rise from the ground. When approached, they
390 DIVERS.
utter a long-drawn, melancholy scream, like 6 ooh, with a shrill,
loud, sighing, and rising note. Now and then, as if a call upon
the parent, the tone is broken almost in the manner of running
the finger across the mouth while uttering a sound. A young
bird of this kind which I obtained in the salt-marsh at Chelsea
Beach, and transferred to a fish-pond, made a good deal of
plaint, and would sometimes wander out of its more natural
element, and hide and bask in the grass. On these occasions
it lay very still until nearly approached, and then slid into
the pond and uttered its usual plaint. When out at any dis-
tance, it made the same cautious efforts to hide, and would
commonly defend itself in great anger, by darting at the in-
truder and striking powerfully with its dagger-like bill. This
bird, with a pink-colored iris, like albinos, appeared to suffer
from the glare of broad daylight, and was inclined to hide from
its effects, but became very active towards the dusk of even-
ing. The pupil of the eye in this individual, like that of
nocturnal animals, appeared indeed dilatable ; and the one in
question often put down its head and eyes into the water to
observe the situation of its prey. This bird was a most expert
and indefatigable diver, and would remain down sometimes
for several minutes, often swimming under water, and as it
were flying with the velocity of an arrow in the air. Though
at length inclined to be docile, and showing no alarm when
visited, it constantly betrayed its wandering habit, and every
night was found to have waddled to some hidding-place,
where it seemed to prefer hunger to the loss of liberty, and
never could be restrained from exercising its instinct to move
onwards to some secure or more suitable asylum.
Far out at sea in winter, and in the Great Western Jakes,
particularly Huron and Michigan, in summer, I have often
heard on a fine calm morning the sad and wolfish call of the
solitary Loon, which like a dismal echo seems slowly to invade
the ear, and rising as it proceeds, dies away in the air. This
boding sound to mariners, supposed to be indicative of a storm,
may be heard sometimes for two or three miles, when the bird
itself is invisible, or reduced almost to a speck in the distance.
BLACK-THROATED LOON, 391
The aborigines, nearly as superstitious as sailors, dislike to
hear the cry of the Loon, considering the bird, from its shy
and extraordinary habits, as a sort of supernatural being. By
the Norwegians its long-drawn howl is, with more appearance
of reason, supposed to portend rain. Judging, however, from
the young bird already mentioned, this expression, like that
of other fowls, indicated nothing beyond the humble wants or
social communication of the species.
The flesh of the Loon is dark, tough, and unpalatable ; yet
the young birds are frequently seen in the markets of New
York and Boston, and are therefore no doubt sometimes eaten.
Some of the Russian Tartars on the Ob and the Irtisch tan
the breasts of this and other water-fowl, preserving the down
upon them, and sewing them together, sell them for garments
and caps. The Greenlanders, as well as the aborigines round
Hudson Bay and on the banks of the Columbia River, em-
ploy their skins as articles of dress or of decoration; and the
Indians of the Missouri and Mississippi also often ornament
the sacred calumet with the brilliant neck-feathers of this and
other species.
The Loon is found throughout this Eastern Province, breeding
from the northern tier of States to the Arctic Ocean. It winters
from the Middle States south to the Gulf of Mexico.
BLACK-THROATED LOON.
URINATOR ARCTICUS.
Cuar. Prevailing color above black, varied with white ; head grayish
brown; chin and throat black, with a patch of short white streaks;
streaks of white on side of neck; under parts white. Length about 26
inches.
Nest. On the bank of an island lake, —a hollow stamped in the moss,
sparingly lined with grass, or sometimes a floating mass of coarse herb-
age covered with moss and sedge.
Eggs. Usually 2; brown of an olive or russet tint, and marked with
dark brown; average size 3.25 X 2.10.
This species, common to the hyperboreal parts of both
continents, is much more rare in the United States than the
392 DIVERS.
preceding, and though frequent near the shores of Hudson
Bay, is seldom seen in the interior of the fur countries. It
abounds in the northern parts of Europe, Norway, Sweden,
and Denmark, and in the inland lakes of Siberia, especially
those of the Arctic regions; it is also seen in Iceland, Green-
land, and the Farde Isles. It is held in superstitious regard
by the Norwegians, who believe its cry to portend rain. The
skins of this and other species, being tough and impervious
to wet, are used by the Indians and Esquimaux, as well as
by the Norwegians, for articles of dress.
The Arctic Diver is an autumnal and winter bird of passage
in England, Germany, and Holland, more rare upon the in-
terior lakes of France, but common upon those of Switzer-
land. It lives on fish, frogs, insects, and aquatic plants, and
nests in the reeds and herbage upon the borders of lakes and
in marshes, preferring those which are much intersected by
waters: it is said to lay two eggs, which are brown, marked
with scattered black spots. ‘
The Black-throated Loon is somewhat uncommon everywhere
within its range, but is especially rare on this eastern side of the
Atlantic. It breeds in the Far North, and in winter has been
found as far south as the Bay of Fundy, and casually to Ohio and
Long Island.
This is a rather solitary bird, though occasionally two or three
pairs breed on the same lake, but rarely associate. In the migra-
tion small flocks are sometimes met with.
RED-THROATED LOON.
URINATOR LUMME.
Cuar. Prevailing color brownish black, varied by paler and a few
spots of white; head and neck light slate gray, the throat with a patch of
bright chestnut ; under parts silky white. Length about 25 inches.
Vest. On the margin ofa retired pond, — a depression in the sand, close
to the water’s edge; sometimes lined with a few bits of grass.
£ggs. Usually 2; pale brown, often tinged with olive, and spotted
with dark brown; average size about 2.75 X 1.80.
This species is again a general inhabitant of the northern
regions of both continents, from whence few migrate to any
great distance, — except the young, and these are seen not un-
commonly along the coasts of the United States in the course
394 DIVERS,
of the winter. According to Richardson, these birds frequent
the shores of Hudson Bay up to the extremity of Melville Pen-
insula, and are also abundant on the interior lakes, where they
breed. Mr. Audubon found them nesting on the coast of
Labrador near small freshwater lakes. Their food is similar
to that of the preceding species. Fleming says that they
breed in Zetland and the Orkneys. In Greenland and Iceland
they also lay among the herbage on the shores contiguous to
water, and make a nest of moss and grass, lining it with down.
The young of this species, called the Cobble, is frequently
seen in England in the winter in bays and inlets, and some-
times in freshwater rivers and lakes. In the river Thames
this bird attends the arrival of the sprats, on which it feeds,
and is hence known to the fishermen by the name of the Sprat
Loon. From its diving habits it is frequently taken in the
fishing-nets, to which it is attracted by their contents. It flies
well, and dives and swims with remarkable dexterity, and
while proceeding in the air is said to be sometimes very noisy.
At Hudson Bay the young fly before the end of August, and
the whole commence their migrations in the course of Sep-
tember. These birds are common also to the Baltic and the
White Sea, and are found in the inclement regions of eastern
Asia, as in Kamtschatka and Siberia.
This species breeds from the lower fur countries to the Arctic,
and in winter migrates south to the Middle States, and casually to
North Carolina.
BLACK GUILLEMOT.
SEA PIGEON.
CEPPHUS GRYLLE,
Cuar. Prevailing color black ; large patch on the wings white, with a
black bar, sometimes wholly or partially concealed ; bill black; legs and
feet bright red. Length about 13 inches. In winter the upper parts are
varied with white, and the lower parts mostly white; feet pinkish.
Nest. On a rock-bound coast, placed on the ledge of a cliff, or under
loose bowlders on the top of a bluff;-sometimes amid the shingle of a
beach ; no attempt is made at nest-building; the eggs are deposited on
the bare rocks.
£ggs. 2-3 (usually 2); ivory white, sometimes tinged with bluish
green, marked with rich brown and gray; 2.30 X 1.60.
The Black Guillemot is a general inhabitant of the whole
Arctic seas of both continents. It has even been called the
Dove of Greenland, being common in that country, as well as
396 DIVERS.
on the still more dreary coasts of Spitzbergen. In the hyper-
boreal seas and straits of America it also abounds, from the
inclement shores of Melville Island down to Hudson Bay
and Labrador. According to Mr. Audubon it also breeds on
the isle of Grand Menan, in the Bay of Fundy. Like the
other Guillemots, these birds are entirely marine, never going
inland, and rarely seek the coast but for the indispensable pur-
pose of reproduction. In the cold and desolate regions of
the North, abandoned by nearly every other animal, the Guille-
mots, though in diminished numbers, find means to pass the
winter; frequenting at such times the pools of open water,
which occur even in these high latitudes amongst the floes of
ice. Others, but in small numbers, and those probably bred
in lower latitudes, venture in the winter along the coasts of
the United States. In Europe they are also seen at this sea-
son along the borders of the Atlantic. They are alike indig-
enous to the western side of the American continent, and
occur in Kamtschatka. At St. Kilda, on the Bass Isle, in the
Firth of Forth, in the Farne Islands, off the coast of Northum-
berland, and on some parts of the coast of Wales, particularly
near Tenby, they are known to breed.
They fly commonly in pairs with considerable rapidity, al-
most grazing the surface of the sea, but at other times they
proceed in a more elevated course. Their note, according to
Audubon, is a contracted. whistle. They nestle sometimes
under ground, but more commonly in the deep and rocky
fissures of inaccessible cliffs and bold headlands projecting into
the sea. To avoid the access of water to the eggs, they com-
monly pile together a nest of pebbles, beneath which the
rain-water or melting snow passes off without any injury or
inconvenience. To escape becoming the prey of the foxes
which incessantly watch for them, the young, when pushed to
the necessity, throw themselves without difficulty from their
impending eyries into the sea. These birds dive with great
facility, and feed upon small fish, but particularly on shrimps,
small crabs, and other crustacea, and marine insects. They
show considerable vigilance on being approached, and are
BLACK GUILLEMOT. 397
much more shy and wary than the other Guillemots. The
eggs (called improperly those of the Noddy) are brought
sometimes in small coasting-vessels to Boston market.
There are two races of the Sea Pigeon in our fauna,—for
Mandt’s Guillemot is only a Northern race or variety of the pres-
ent species, — and of these the Black Guillemot is the more south-
ern in distribution, breeding from the Bay of Fundy to southern
Labrador. In winter it is rather common on the New England
shores, and a few examples wander as far south as New Jersey.
I did not find these birds as shy as Nuttall’s statement led me to
anticipate. They were somewhat wary and alert, but allowed me
to paddle within easy shooting distance without displaying much
alarm. When they finally concluded that I was an unsafe neigh-
bor, they lost no time in getting out of my sight, diving with sur-
prising suddenness. They usually swam a long distance under
water with great rapidity, using their wings as well as feet, and
coming to the surface far beyond gunshot range.
The Sea Pigeons are met usually in small flocks of half a
dozen or more, and generally feed in the open sea at the base of
bold cliffs. When on the wing they proceed rapidly and in a
straight line, and rarely more than a few feet from the surface
of the water. On approching their nesting-site they rise rather
abruptly, and fly directly to their nests.
Norte.— Manpt’s GUILLEMOT (C. mandti) is a northern variety
of the Sea Pigeon, differing from gry//e in lacking the black bar
on the wing-patch, and having a somewhat stouter bill. It breeds
from high Arctic regions to the coast of Labrador and Hudson Bay,
and in winter may be found off the Atlantic shores from south
Greenland to New Jersey, though it is not at all common along
the southern portion of its range.
The BLACK-WINGED GUILLEMOT (C. motzfeld1) is said to occur
on the shores of Cumberland Bay and in Greenland, though it has
been put in the Hypothetical List of “ The A. O. U. Check List”
with the note: “Its specific validity not satisfactorily established.”
‘ Hh fy
MURRE.
FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. COMMON GUILLEMOT. PENGUIN.
URIA TROILE.
Cuar. Upper parts rich velvet brown, variable in tint; under parts
white; wings with a small white patch; bill long and slender and of
black color; legs blackish, webs olive. Length about 18 inches (female
rather smaller). In winter the chin, throat, and sides of neck become
white, more or less mottled with black.
West. Ona ledge of an ocean cliff; no attempt is made to construct
a receptacle for the egg, —it is laid upon the bare rock.
Egg. 1; variable in color, the prevailing tints being ivory white, yel-
lowish green, dark green, pale blue, and reddish brown, with numerous
intermediate tints ; markings irregular, and of browns and grays in vari-
ous shades ; size variable, average about 3.25 X I.9o.
The Foolish Guillemot, so called for its fatuity in the
breeding-season, in allowing itself sometimes to be seized
by the hand or killed on the spot without flying from its
MURRE. 399
favorite cliffs, is another singular and common inhabitant of
the high northern latitudes of both continents. In Europe
these birds extend their swarming colonies as far as the ever
wintry coast of Spitzbergen ; they are also seen in Lapmarck,
and along the White and Icy Sea as far as Kamtschatka. Along
the whole coast of Hudson Bay, Labrador, and Newfoundland,
they congregate in swarms. They also breed in the Orkneys
and in more temperate climates, when the local situation hap-
pens to suit their particular habits and instinct ; thus, they are
extremely numerous in the desert Isle of Priestholm, contiguous
to the Island of Anglesey, on the Godreve rocks, not far from
St. Ives, in Cornwall, the Farne Isles, off the coast of Northum-
berland, and the cliffs of the Isle of Wight, and of Scarborough
in Yorkshire. Occasionally the young are seen along the
coasts of the United States; but the great body of the species
in America, according to Audubon, winter in the Bay of Fundy,
where they find an open sea, congenial rocks, and a cool
temperature.
These birds begin to assemble on their customary cliffs in
England early in May, and crowd together in such numbers that
it is not uncommon to see hundreds sitting upon their eggs on
the ledge of a rock, all in a line, and nearly touching each
other. ‘They lay but a single egg, on the flat and bare rock,
without any precaution to protect it or the progeny arising
from it by any shelter or convenience at all like a nest. It is
of a palish green, blotched and marked with black and deep
umber brown. They rarely quit their eggs unless disturbed,
and are fed during the time, chiefly with small fish or other
marine productions, by the male. In inaccessible places, or
where seldom disturbed, it is with difficulty that they are roused
to flight, and may then sometimes be taken by the hand;
others flutter into the water below the cliffs on which they
nestle, and seem, in fact, to try every expedient but that of
flight. They are at all times extremely expert in diving, using
their pinions as oars instead of the feet, thus flying as it were
in the water, as well as in the air. After the young are hatched
and capable of migrating, by the close of August, they all dis-
400 DIVERS.
appear from the shores of Britain, and are seen in winter on
the coasts of the Baltic, Holland, France, along the borders
of the Atlantic, and as far southward as Italy. Many of the
young, as well as old birds of this species, also, bred in colder
latitudes, migrate in winter along the coasts of Norway, Hol-
land, and England, seeming as it were to fill up the place of
those which have left their native shores for still milder
climates.
The inhabitants of Kamtschatka kill the Murres in great
numbers for the sake of their flesh, though it is said to be
tough and ill tasting, but more especially for their skins, of
which, as of other fowls, they make garments; but the eggs
are everywhere accounted as a delicacy. This bird is called
by the Welsh Guiéem, and in the southern parts of England
Willock.
During very recent years it has been discovered that the “‘Com-
mon” Guillemot is a decidedly uncommon bird on our shores, if
not quite rare ; it has been confused with Briinnich’s, which it very
closely resembles. The present species is credited with breeding
from the Bay of Fundy to the Frozen Ocean; but Mr. Hagerup
considers it rare in south Greenland, while Kumlien reported find-
ing Guillemots “ breeding by thousands ” on the Greenland coast.
A few of these birds are found off the New England shores in
winter.
BRUNNICH’S MURRE.
THICK-BILLED GUILLEMOT. FOOLISH GUILLEMOT.
PENGUIN.
URIA LOMVIA.
Cuar. Upper parts sooty black, deeper on head and nape; sides of
head and neck, chin, and throat brown; wing with small patch of white;
bill short and thick, and of black color. Length about 18 inches; female
somewhat smaller. In winter the throat becomes white. Young birds
are similar to the adult in winter plumage.
Vest. On the bare rocks of an ocean cliff.
Egg. 1; very variable in color, markings, and size; average about
3.15 X 2.05.
This is the Common Guillemot of our shores, and is rather abun-
dant in some localities, breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to
the Frozen Ocean, and wintering from south Greenland to New
Jersey. Some European naturalists consider this bird a variety
of U. trotle, and not entitled to specific rank; but the “ American
VOL. Il. — 26
402 DIVERS.
School” of ornithologists are nothing if not “separatists,” and by
separating forms which appear to them to have gained the right to
distinct and separate recognition, the A. O. U. are proving their
right to the title of “ pioneers of modern ornithological science,”
given them by an illustrious European savant.
Whether the path which these “ pioneers” are blazing — with
its unbending adherence to a fixed line, over whatever difficulty it
may lead— will be followed strictly by future systematists, is a
debatable question; but followed strictly or but partially, the
present generation of American ornithologists have established
themselves among the leaders of the science, and the influence of
their determinations is acknowledged wherever birds are studied
or described.
I will not pretend to be in full sympathy with all of the separating
that has been attempted, nor of all that has been accepted. There
will be, doubtless, a revision of the present system, — nay, many
revisions; ornithology is in its infancy yet. I follow the American
school because an amateur writer must follow somebody, — we
have had too many unskilled hands tinkering with systematic
work. I follow the Americans also because I am doing American
work for American readers, and the use of the A. O. U. system of
classification and nomenclature will avoid confusion. I follow this
system for another reason: I consider it the best that has as yet
been issued; and so I give to Briinnich’s Murre specific instead '
of varietal rank.
This bird does not differ in habits from its congeners. During
the winter it lives on the open sea, and in the breeding-season
assembles in large flocks on bold cliffs and rocky headlands. It is
an expert diver, using wings and feet to get under water and to
swim through it.
DOVEKIE.
SEA DOVE. LITTLE AUK.
ALLE ALLE.
CuHar. Head, neck, and upper parts black; wings with small patch of
white, sometimes divided by a black bar; under parts white; bill black;
legs red. Length about 8% inches.
In winter the chin and throat are white, and in spring and fall the
white is more or less varied with black.
Nest. Ona ledge of an ocean cliff, or any high elevation adjacent to
the sea. There is no receptacle for the egg, which is laid on the bare rock
or amid loose stones.
£gg. 1; pale greenish blue, sometimes streaked with buff; average
size 1.85 X 1.30.
This neat and singular little bird, with a quaint resemblance
to the Columbine tribe, is known to mariners by the name of
the Greenland Dove ; and in this vicinity it is also called the
Pigeon Diver. It inhabits, however, a region where the gertle
cooing of the Dove is never heard. It dwells far within the
Arctic Circle, approaching the very Pole, having been obtained
404 DIVERS.
by Dr. Richardson from the dreary coast of Melville Island, in
the latitude of 75° and 76°, in August, where these. birds were
seen by thousands. This is probably almost the last bird ob-
served within the desolate and glacial boundaries of the earth,
In Greenland and Spitzbergen Dovekies congregate in great
flocks, and in the depth of winter, watching the motion of the
ice in the offing when it is broken up by storms, they.crowd by
thousands into every opening fissure or flaw, in order to snatch
up the marine productions on which they subsist. Mr. Audu-
bon found a few individuals breeding on the coast of Labrador.
In Newfoundland this species is called the Ice Bird, being the
sure harbinger of severe weather, as it seldom proceeds far from
its inclement natal regions, except when accidentally driven to
shore by storms. In the United States its appearance is always
solitary, being a mere wanderer, as it is also along the milder
coasts of Europe. The uniform predilection of these birds
is for the hyperboreal regions of their nativity, and they even
fatten in storms when not overwhelmed by their fury, as at
these times the small crustacea and marine insects on which
they feed are cast up and brought to the surface in greater
abundance. At times they appear to fly well, as appears by
their extensive accidental migrations, they having sometimes
been met with’ considerably inland. The water, however, is
their more natural element; they dive with great facility, and
are often observed dipping their bills into the water, as if
drinking.
Those individuals which have been obtained in this vicinity,
usually in the depth of winter, have sometimes been found in
Fresh Pond, so lean and exhausted, by buffeting weather and
fatigue, as to allow themselves to be quietly taken up by the
hand. :
Like other species of the genus, and the family generally,
associated with the Razor-bills, they seek out for their breed-
ing-places the most inaccessible impending cliffs which project
into the ocean, and in their clefts, without any artificial nest,
deposit their single egg, which is of a pale bluish-green, com-
monly without spots, but sometimes scattered with a few smal]
DOVEKIE. 405
touches of blackish. At this time, probably, they are heard to
utter their uncouth and monotonous call of vo¢¢e¢, by which as
a name they are known to the Dutch navigators who have
penetrated to their dreary and remote haunts.
Captain Ross’s party met with these birds in great numbers
on the west coast of Greenland, where they were shot daily,
and supplied to the ship’s company, who found them very
palatable, and free from any fishy taste, though their food con-
sists chiefly of a small species of crab (Cancer), with which
the Arctic seas abound.
This interesting little wanderer, that comes to our shores only
during the winter months, and gains our sympathy by its graceful
form and apparent helplessness, is a much more sturdy and self-
reliant bird than it gives any evidence of as we pick it up ex-
hausted from battling with the strong north wind that has thrown
it in our way, faint from hunger and wearied from the protracted
struggle. Its wings are small, but they are moved almost as
rapidly as a Humming Bird’s, and propel the bird through the air
with great rapidity. This bird is an expert diver too, and though
awkward on the land, swims with easy grace; and when wearied,
it tucks its head beneath its little wing, and rocked in the cradle of
the deep, sleeps as calmly and serenely as do human children upon
their mother’s breast. When hungry, these little children of the
sea draw their food from the ocean’s bosom.
The Little Auk nests only north of the Arctic Circle, and there
assembles in vast communities, and fills the air with its wild note,
which bears some resemblance to the syllables a/-/e.
These birds are seen on our shores only in winter, and then
straggle as far south as New Jersey. Occasionally an example is
blown inland by a gale, one having been found as far away from
the sea as the Detroit River.
oC
AIAN i
IN)
RD ie
y
PUFFIN.
SEA PARROT.
FRATERCULA ARCTICA.
CuHar. Upper parts black or dusky, a band of same across the neck;
cheeks and under parts white. Length about 12 inches.
Nest. Ina crevice of a cliff or in a burrow.
£gg. 1; dull white, marked with pale brown and lilac; average size
2.40 X 1.70.
The Puffin is a general inhabitant of the cold and inclement
regions of the whole northern hemisphere. On the coasts of
northern Europe it is met with to the Icy Sea. It is found
in Iceland, Greenland, Spitzbergen, and the Farde Isles;
on the coast of Kamtschatka and the Kuriles it is also
common. In the temperate climates of Great Britain, as well
as in the Shetland and Orkney Isles, it likewise breeds in
large communities, as at the Farne Isles, off the coast of
PUFFIN. 407
Northumberland, Priestholm Isle, near Anglesea, the small
islands off St. David’s in Wales, the Isle of Wight, the cliffs of
Beachy Head, Dover, Scarborough, and in the vicinity of Holy-
head. These birds were also found by Audubon on the sterile
. and dreary coast of Labrador, but not beyond Brador; they
also probably inhabit the coasts of Newfoundland, and in the
winter are seen in great numbers in the Bay of Fundy. They
are little more than stragglers on the coast of New England, but
according to Catesby proceed in the course of the season as
far south as Carolina. In Europe they are also seen on the
coasts of Andalusia in Spain.
In England, at Priestholm Isle, they are seen in flocks innu-
merable. ‘They assemble and begin to visit the island early in
April, but do not commence their incubation until the first
week in May. They make no proper nest, but burrow deep
holes in the loose earth, in the labor of which both male and
female unite, forming excavations three or four feet in depth.
As this labor is very considerable, they sometimes content them-
selves with the deserted burrow of the rabbit, and probably at
times dislodge the owners for this coveted convenience. They
lay a single whitish-colored egg on the bare mould of their
den. The young are hatched by the beginning of July, and are
attentively fed by the assiduous parents, who are now seen
busily engaged fishing for them, and bringing their prey in the
bill, until they are so far grown as to feed and defend them-
selves. About the close of August they all go off in a bady, to
a single bird; and indeed so completely that they desert the
young ones which are hatched late, leaving them a prey to the
Falcon and other rapacious birds who watch for them at
the mouths of their holes. Yet notwithstanding this apparent
neglect of their young at this time, when every other instinct
is merged in the desire and necessity of migration, probably
after food, no bird is more attentive to them in general, since
they will suffer themselves to be taken by the hand, and use
every endeavor to save and screen their young, biting not only
their antagonist, but, when laid hold of by the wings, inflicting
bites on themselves, as if actuated by the agonies of despair ;
408 DIVERS.
and when released, instead of flying away, they hurry again
into the burrow to their cherished young.
The Puffin, essentially aquatic in its nature and habits,
makes no great progress in the air, taking wing with difficulty ;
and it walks on the whole length of the leg and foot with a
wriggling, awkward gait. In tempestuous weather these birds
seek shelter in caverns, the holes of the nearest rocks, in their
burrows, or in the rabbit-holes on the beach, in which they
doze till the return of calmer weather. Though accustomed to
the severest cold, they are unable to brave the storm, and when
overtaken by it are often drowned and cast dead on the shore.
Their food consists of various kinds of small fish, particularly
sprats, the smaller kinds of crabs, shrimps, and sea-weeds ; and
it is not improbable but that their sudden migrations are regu-
lated by the presence or absence of certain kinds of fish on
which they delight to feed. They are exceedingly rank in
flavor; yet the young, preserved with spices and pickled, are
by some people much admired. They are even potted at St.
Kilda and elsewhere, and sent to London as rarities.
Though pertinacious in attachment to their favorite breed-
ing-places, they have sometimes been known to desert them in
a yery unaccountable manner. At the great Isle of Arran,
Galway Bay, in Ireland, the stupendous cliffs to the southwest
of the island, which from time immemorial had been the place
of resort, or rather the natural habitation, of such numbers of
Puffins as is almost incredible, was at once deserted on the
24th of June by the entire species, who thus abandoned their
eggs and young and went off to sea. The like incident is said
to have happened forty years previous, and no reason could be
assigned for this extraordinary dereliction.
Among the enemies of the Coulternebs is sometimes the
piratical Raven, who makes bold to offer battle; but as soon
as he approaches, the defender of the premises catches him
under the throat with her beak, and sticks her claws into his
breast till he screams out with pain and tries to get away. But
the Coulterneb retains her hold, and tumbles him about, till
both frequently fall into the sea, where the aggressor is
PUFFIN. 409
drowned, and the Puffin returns in triumph-to her nest. But
should the Raven at the first onset get hold of the Coulter-
neb’s neck, he generally comes off victorious, killing the mother
and feasting on her eggs or young. The fishermen sometimes
draw these birds out of their burrows by introducing the hand
into the hole, which is seized by the bird, which suffers itself to
be pulled out rather than lose its hold. Its bite is, however,
very severe, and it can when irritated take out a piece of flesh
from a man’s hand without any extraordinary effort. When
reared and domesticated, these birds become quite tame, and
in the end familiar.
The Puffin breeds on the islands at the mouth of the Bay of
Fundy, and north to Greenland, and in winter is more or less com-
mon, from Nova Scotia to New Jersey.
Note. — The LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN (/. arctica glacialis) is
said to breed farther north than true avcézca. It is similar to the
common Puffin, but larger.
The TurtTeD PuFFIN (Lunda cirrhata), a North Pacific bird,
is entitled to notice here through Audubon’s report that he cap-
tured an example at the mouth of the Kennebec River, Maine.
RAZOR-BILLED AUK.
TINKER.
ALCA TORDA.
CuHar. Upper parts black, with green reflections; throat deep brown;
a line of white in front of the eyes; a narrow bar of white on the wings ;
under parts white ; bill horn-brown with a bar of white. Length about
17 inches.
In winter the throat becomes white, the bill loses the horny shield at
the tip and the white bar, and appears smaller and sharper, and the line
from the eyes is indistinct.
Vest. On an ocean cliff, — usually near the summit; the egg is laid on
the bare rock, generally in a crevice or amid loose stones.
£gg. 1; ground color shaded from ivory white or pale buff to dark
buff or reddish brown; marked with dark brown and gray ; size variable,
average about 2.90 X 1.80.
The Razor-bill is another of those gregarious marine birds
which dwell amidst the wildest scenes of Nature, and penetrate
RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 4II
into the most dreary hyperboreal climates throughout the
whole of the northern hemisphere. ‘They abound in the north
of Europe as far as Iceland and Greenland, and in America
swarm on the bleak and barren coasts of Labrador. Small
groups of from ten to twelve proceed along the coasts of the
United States as far as New York, in severe winters remaining
in deep water ; but they are by no means common, and scarcely
ever seen in Massachusetts Bay.
Like most of the birds of this family, they have a steady pre-
dilection for their ancient eyry. From time immemorial they
resort to the same rocks and coasts, and there are but few places
sufficiently desert, rocky, and inaccessible suited to their furtive
habits and marine food. One of their great resorts in England
is on and about the Needle-rocks and other precipitous cliffs, so
dangerous to the shipwrecked mariner, which flank the romantic
Isle of Wight. As curious and striking works of Nature and
instinct, these, and the birds which frequent them, afford an
interesting spectacle in May and June. The Razor-bills are
here in such numbers that a boatful might be killed in a day;
and the eggs being esteemed a delicacy, particularly for salads,
the fishermen and other indigent and adventurous inhabitants
traverse the precipices in search of the pickle samphire and
the eggs of the Murre. Some of these stupendous cliffs are
six hundred feet above the yawning deep, which lashes and
frets them into gloomy caverns. Seaward they present rugged
and deeply indented cliffs, on whose rude shelvings and ledges
the birds arrange themselves by thousands, and without further
preparation lay their eggs, which lie as it were strewed without
precaution by hundreds in a row, in no way attached to or de-
fended by the rocks, so that in a gale of wind whole ranks of
them are swept into the sea. To these otherwise inaccessible
deposits the dauntless fowlers ascend, and passing intrepidly
from rock to rock, collect the eggs and descend with the same
indifference. In most places, however, the attempt is made
from above. The adventurer is let down from the slope con-
tiguous to the brink of the cliff by a rope sustained by a single
assistant, who, lowering his companion, depends on his per-
412 DIVERS.
sonal strength alone to support him ; which if failing, the fowler
is dashed to pieces or drowned in the sea which roars and
heaves below.
In order to study the habits of these marine birds, the cele-
brated Edwards spent several days among these terrific and
romantic rocks. If a cannon was fired, the air was darkened
with a black cloud of the cliff birds, which issued by thousands
from every hole and cranny, as if summoned into sudden exist-
ence by the work of enchantment. They fly about in silence
near to the surface of the sea, perform a few circuits, and on
the removal of the cause of alarm return soon to their eyry, or,
alighting on the waves, dive out of the way of harm until well
assured that no enemy is near. :
These Auks lay but one egg except when robbed of the first,
and if this is taken they will sometimes give a third. Mr.
Audubon found them breeding in great numbers on the coast
of Labrador, generally taking possession of the most rugged
and precipitous isles, in the deep indentations and fissures of
which they crowded, and deposited their eggs as near together
as distinct proprietorship would admit, — commonly upon a
nest of pebbles, artificially collected together, under and between
which the dripping waters and melting ice thus passed without
ever coming in contact with the eggs. The Murre sits on her
nest in an upright posture, and with her head facing the wind.
The young are fed by regurgitated food until they attain a con-
siderable size, after which the small fish, on which old and
young principally feed, are merely laid before them. They
leave their rock or nest when about half grown, and then
immediately commence fishing for themselves. ‘Thousands of
these birds are here seen breeding on the same rock.
The flight of the Razor-bill is rapid, and according to Mr.
Audubon sometimes even greatly protracted, but low above
the surface of the water, and sustained by a constant stiff and
short flapping of the wings. It dives to great depths and
swims under the surface with considerable velocity, using its
wings as flattened fins, and in this manner, like the Divers,
it may be seen pursuing and seizing its prey.
RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 413
Besides breeding in Labrador, Mr. Audubon found that the
Razor-bill occasionally nested in the Island of Grand Menan,
the Seal Islands, and others situated at the entrance of the
Bay of Fundy.
Though it walks and runs awkwardly, this bird moves swiftly,
and can easily escape from place to place. The bite of the
old bird, like that of the Puffin, is very severe. The fishermen
of this region call this species the Hawk-billed Murre. Its
flesh is quite palatable, although very dark, and much eaten
by the Greenlanders, according to Crantz, forming their chief
subsistence during the months of February and March. These
birds are killed with missiles, chased and driven ashore in
canoes, or taken in nets made of split whalebone. Their skins
are also used for clothing. The eggs are everywhere accounted
a delicacy, and the feathers of the breast are extremely fine,
warm, and elastic. For the sake of this handful of feathers,
according to Audubon, thousands of these birds are killed in
Labrador, and their bodies strewed on the shore.
The islands between the small port of Little Macatine and
Brador abound with these and other allied marine birds, whose
eggs are collected by the inhabitants of Nova Scotia. For this
purpose they commence by trampling on all they find laid, and
the following day begin to collect those which are newly dropped ;
and such is the abundance of the eggs that Mr. Audubon fell in
with a party of three men who, in the course of six weeks, had
collected thirty thousand dozen, of the estimated value of four
hundred pounds sterling. Beyond Brador the Murres and
Puffins were no longer found.
The Razor-bill breeds on the Atlantic coast from the Bay of
Fundy to the northern part of Labrador, though very few exam-
ples are found in summer south of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In
winter these birds wander along the coast of New England and the
adjacent Provinces and southward casually to North Carolina.
GREAT AUK.
GREAT PENGUIN. GARE FOWL.
PLAUTUS IMPENNIS.
Cuar. Upper parts black, a white patch in front of the eyes; under
parts white ; sides of the throat dark buff; wings little more than rudi-
mentary. Length about 30 inches.
Nest. Among the shingle on a sea-washed beach, sometimes at a con-
siderable distance from the water. The birds probably make no nest.
Eggs. Probably 1; creamy white or buff, sometimes tinged with green,
marked with dark brown and gray; average size 4.80 X 2.90
The Great Auk, or Northern Penguin, inhabits the highest
latitudes of the globe, dwelling by choice and instinct amidst
GREAT AUK, 415
the horrors of a region covered with eternal ice. Here it
is commonly found upon the floating masses of the gelid
ocean, far from land, to which alone it resorts in the season
of procreation.
Deprived of the use of wings, degraded as it were from the
feathered ranks, and almost numbered with the amphibious
monsters of the deep, the Auk seems condemned to dwell
alone in those desolate and forsaken regions of the earth;
yet aided by all-bountiful Nature, it finds means to subsist,
and triumphs over all the physical ills of its condition. As
a diver it remains unrivalled, proceeding beneath the water,
its most natural element, almost with the velocity of many
birds in the air. It thus contrives to vary its situation with
the season, migrating for short distances, like the finny prey
on which it feeds. In the Farde Isles, Iceland, Greenland, and
Newfoundland these birds dwell and breed in great numbers.
“They nest among the steepest cliffs of islands, remote from the
shore, in the vicinity of floating ice, taking possession of cav-
erns, and the crannies and clefts of rocks; or they dig for them-
selves deep burrows in which they lay their only egg, about the
size of that of the Swan, whitish yellow, marked with numerous
lines and spots of black, which present to the imagination the
idea of Chinese characters. They are so unprolific that if this
egg be taken away they lay no other that season. Their time
of breeding is June and July.
The Auk is known sometimes to breed in the Isle of St.
Kilda, and in Papa Westra, according to Mr. Bullock, for sev-
eral years past no more than a single pair had made their
appearance. It feeds on large fish, and also on some ma-
rine plants, as well as on those which grow on the rocks con-
tiguous to their holes or burrows. The young birds tear up
the roots of the Rhodiola rosea. Many are said to breed on
the desert coasts of Newfoundland, where they have been seen
by navigators, though not recently. According to Pennant, the
Esquimaux, who frequented this island, made clothing of the
skins of these birds. The older ones are very shy, and but
rarely venture to the shore, on which they walk badly, though
416 DIVERS.
the young are not unfrequently met with. When fed in con-
finement, the Auk expresses its anxiety by raising and shaking
the head and neck and-uttering a gurgling noise, but. appears
to be on the whole essentially dumb, as well as deprived of
flight.
Since Nuttall wrote, the Great Penguin of the North Atlantic
has become extinct. There is no mystery surrounding the extinc-
tion of these birds; they simply yielded to the inevitable law of the
survival of the fittest. Through disuse the wings became unfit for
service, and the parents could not reach a place of safety for their
eggs; and though expert divers, and strong, swift swimmers, their
legs were almost useless when upon land, and the birds were con-
tinually surprised by hunters and captured in large numbers, until
the last one perished.
Not many years ago they were abundant in the vicinity of New-
foundland, and thev no doubt occurred as far south as the shores
of Massachusetts. The year 1842 is given as that in which the
last of these Auks were seen. Now a few stuffed specimens is all °
that can be found of former legions.
INDEX.
Acanthis brewsterii, i. 359.
hornemannii, i. 359.
hornemnanii exilipes, i. 358.
linaria, i. 355.
linaria holbellii, i. 357.
linaria rostrata, i. 357.
Accipiter atricapillus, i. 31.
cooperi, i. 34.
velox, i. 35.
Actitis macularia, ii. 160.
gialitis hiaticula, ii. 66.
meloda, ii. 59.
meloda circumcineta, ii. 60.
montana, ii. 67.
semipalmata, ii. 64.
vocifera, ii. 62.
wilsonia, ii. 61.
istrelata gularis, ii. 268.
hasitata, ii. 268.
Agelaius pheniceus, i. 96.
pheniceus bryanti, i. 101.
Aix sponsa, ii. 317.
Ajaja ajaja, ii. 108.
Alauda arvensis, i. 297.
Albatross, Wandering, ii. 278.
Yellow-nosed, ii. 277.
Alca torda, ii. 410.
Alle alle, ii. 403.
Ammodramus caudacutus, i. 344.
caudacutus nelsoni, i. 346.
caudacutus subvirgatus, i. 345+
henslowii, i. 330.
leconteii, i. 331.
maritimus, i. 346.
maritimus peninsula, i. 347.
nigrescens, i. 347.
princeps, i. 326.
sandwichensis savanna, i. 325.
savannarum passerinus, i. 329.
VOL. Il. — 27
Ampelis cedrorumy,i. 154.
garrulus, i, 152.
Anas americana, ii. 311.
boschas, ii. 303.
carolinensis, li. 321.
crecca, ii. 323.
cyanoptera, ii. 323.
discors, ii. 319.
Sulvigula, ii. 316.
obscura, ii. 315.
penelope, ii. 313.
strepera, ii. 307.
Anhinga anhinga, ii. 380.
Ani, i. 438.
Anous stolidus, ii, 232.
Anser albifrons gambeli, ii, 284.
Anthus pensylvanicus, i. 292.
pratensis, i, 293.
Antrostomus carolinensis, i. 465.
vociferus, i. 467.
Aphelocoma floridana, i. 137.
Aguila chrysaétos, i. 15.
Aramus giganteus, ii. 102.
Archibuteo lagopus sanctijohannis,
i. 41.
Ardea candidissima, ii.86.
cinerea, ii. 81.
caerulea, ii. 94.
egretta, ii. 84.
herodias, ii. 78.
occidentalis, ii. 82.
rufa, ii. 88.
tricolor ruficollis, ii. 96.
virescens, ii. 97.
wardi, ii. 82.
Arenaria interpres, ii. 71.
Asio accipitrinus, i. 68.
wilsonianus, i, 66.
Auk, Great, ii. 414.
418
Auk, Little, ii. 403.
razor-billed, ii. 410.
Avocet, ii. 106.
Aythya affinis, ii. 345.
americana, il. 340.
collaris, ii. 346.
marila nearctica, ii. 343.
vallisneria, ii. 336.
Baldpate, ii. 311.
Bartramia longicauda, ii. 164.
Beach-bird, ii. 49.
Beetlehead, ii. 68.
Bittern, ii. 99.
Cory’s Least, ii. 102.
Least, ii. 101.
Blackbird, Bahama red-winged, i. ror.
Cow, i. 104.
Crow, i. 115.
Red-winged, i. 96.
Rusty, i. 119.
Skunk, i. 109.
Yellow-headed, i. ro2.
Blackbreast, ii. 126.
Blackhead, Big, ii. 343.
Little, ii. 345.
Ring-billed, ii. 346.
Ring-necked, ii. 346.
Blackheart, ii. 126.
Bluebill, ii. 343.
Little, ii. 345.
Marsh, ii. 346.
Bluebird, i. 285.
Bobolink, i. 109.
Bob-white, ii. 23.
Cuban, ii. 30.
Florida, ii. 30.
Bogsucker, ii. 176.
Bonasa umbellus, ii. 30.
umbellus torgata, ii. 34.
Booby, ii. 379.
Blue-faced, ii. 380.
Red-footed, ii. 380.
Botaurus exilis, ii, 101.
lentiginosus, ii. 99.
neoxena, ii. 102.
Brant, ii. 293.
Black, ii. 292, 293.
White, ii. 281.
Branta bernicla, hi. 293.
canadensis, ii. 285.
canadensis hutchinsii, ii, 290
INDEX.
Branta canadensis minima, ii. 292.
leucopsis, ii. 292.
nigricans, ii, 292.
Brant-bird, ii. 71.
Broadbill, ii. 300.
Brownback, ii. 169.
Bubo virginianus, i. 61.
virginianus saturatus, i. 64.
virginianus subarcticus, i. 64.
Bufflehead, ii. 347.
Bull-bat, i. 470.
Bullhead, ii. 68.
Bulweria bulweri, ii, 268.
Bunting, Bay-winged, i. 320,
Black-throated, i. 298.
Henslow’s, i. 330.
Indigo, i. 310.
Lark, i. 299.
Le Conte’s, i. 331.
Painted, i. 314.
Snow, i. 300.
Townsend’s, i. 299.
Varied, i. 313.
Yellow-winged, i. 329.
Burgomaster, ii. 248.
Butcher-bird, i. 159.
Buteo borealis, i. 46.
borealis harlani, i. 48.
brachyurus, i. 50.
latissimus, i. 49.
lineatus, i. 43.
lineatus alleni, i. 45.
swainsoni, i. 48.
Butterball, ii. 347.
Buzzard, King, i. 6.
Turkey, i. 1.
Calamospiza melanocorys, i. 299.
Calcarius lapponicus, i. 304.
ornatus, i. 305.
pictus, i, 305.
Calichelidon cyaneovirides, 1. 403.
Calidris arenaria, li. 49.
Campephilus principalis, i. 441.
Camptolaimus labradorius, i. 302.
Canary, Wild, i. 348.
Caracara, Audubon’s, i. 6.
Cardinal, i. 362.
Cardinalis cardinalis, i. 362.
Carduelis carduelis, i. 353.
Carpodacus purpureus, i. 372.
Catbird, i. 195.
INDEX, 419
Catharista atrata, i. 4.
Cathartes aura, i. 1.
Cedar-bird, i. 154.
Ceophleus pileatus, i. 444.
Cepphus grylle, ii. 395.
manatii, ii. 397.
motzfeldi, ii. 397.
Certhia familiaris americana, i. 387.
Certhiola bahamensis, i. 388.
Ceryle alcyon, i. 461.
Chetura pelagica, i. 463.
Charadrius apricarius, ii. 58.
dominicus, ii. 57.
sguatarola, ii. 68.
Charitoneta albeota, ii. 347.
Chat, Yellow-breasted, i. 172.
Chebec, i, 421.
Chelidon erythrogaster, i. 394.
Chen cerulescens, ii. 283.
hyperborea, ii. 283.
nivalis, ii. 281.
Cherry-bird, i. 154.
Chewink, i. 359.
Chickadee, i. 146.
Carolina, i. 150.
Hudsonian, i. 51.
Chippy, i. 333.
Chondestes grammacus, i. 317.
Chordeiles virginianus, i. 470.
virginianus chapmani, i. 473.
Chuck-will’s-widow, i. 465.
Circus hudsonius, i. 51.
Cistothorus marian@, i. 280.
palustris, i. 279.
stellaris, i. 277.
Clangula hyemalis, ii. 335.
Clivicola riparia, i. 401.
Cobb, ii. 252.
Coccothraustes vespertina, i. 367.
Coccyzus americanus, i. 432.
ervythrophthalmus, i. 436.
minor, i. 437.
minor maynard, i. 438.
Cockawee, ii. 355.
Colaptes auratus, i. 438.
Colinus virginianus, ii. 23.
virginianus cubanensis, ii. 30.
virginianus floridanus, ii. 30.
Columba leucocephala, ii. 7.
Columbigalina passerina, ii. 13.
Colymbus auritus, ii, 383.
holbeelii, ii. 384.
Compsothlypis americana, i. 244.
Contopus borealis, i. 410.
virens, i. 419.
Conurus carolinensis, i. 428.
Coot, ii. 197.
- Black, ii. 333.
Butter-billed, ii. 333.
European, ii. 201.
Horse-head, ii. 331.
Sea, ii. 333, 334.
White-winged, ii. 334.
Cormorant, ii. 469.
Double-crested, ii. 372.
Florida, ii. 373.
Mexican, ii. 373.
Corvus americanus, i. 126.
americanus floridanus, i. 131.
caurinus, i. 132.
corax principalis, i. 120.
ossifragus, i, 131.
Coturnix coturnix, ii. 30.
Courlan, ii. 102.
Cowbird, i. ror.
Crake, ii. 194.
Carolina, ii. 189.
Corn, ii. 196.
Spotted, ii. 196.
Crane, Blue, ii. 78.
Brown, ii. 77.
Great White, ii. 73.
Little Brown, ii. 76.
Sandhill, ii. 77.
Whooping, ii. 73.
Creeper, Bahama Honey, i. 388.
Black and White, i. 389.
Brown, i. 387.
Crex crex, ii. 196.
Crossbill, American, i. 378.
Common, i. 378.
Red, i. 378.
White winged, i. 381.
Crow, i. 126.
Carrion, i. 4.
Fish, i. 131.
Florida, i. 131.
Rain, i. 432, 436.
Crow Duck, ii. 197.
Crymophilus fulicarius, ii, 205.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, i. 436.
Mangrove, i. 437.
Maynard’s, i. 438.
Yellow-billed, i. 432.
420
Curlew, Eskimo, ii, 122.
Hudsonian, ii, 120.
Jack, ii. 120.
Long-billed, ii. 118.
Short-billed, ii. 122.
Cyanocitta cristata, i. 133.
cristata florincola, i. 136.
Cymodroma grallaria, ii. 268.
Dabchick, ii. 386.
Dafjila acuta, ii. 309.
Dendragapus canadensis, ii. 41.
Dendroica estiva, i, 220.
auduboni, i, 220,
blackburnia, i. 232.
caerulea, i. 247.
carulescens, i, 245.
carbonata, i. 265.
castanea, i. 237.
coronata, i. 217.
discolor, i, 242.
dominica, i. 228.
dominica albilora, i. 229.
hirtlandi, i, 265.
maculosa, i, 224.
montana, i. 265.
palmarum, i, 220.
palmarum hypochrysea, i. 219.
pensylvanica, i, 235.
striata, i. 238.
tigrina, i. 226.
townsend, i. 265.
vigorsii, i, 239.
virens, i. 230.
Dickcissel, i. 298.
Diomedea exulans, ii. 278.
Dipper, ii. 347.
Diver, Great Northern, ii. 388.
Dolichonyx oryzivorus, i. 109.
Doughbird, ii, 122.
Dove, Carolina, ii. 11.
Ground, ii. 13.
Key West, ii. 9.
Mourning, ii. 11.
Sea, ii. 403.
Turtle, ii. 11.
Zenaida, ii. 10.
Dovekie, ii. 403.
Dowitcher, ii. 169.
Long-billed, 1i. 171.
Dryobates borealis, i. 454.
pubescens, i. 452+
INDEX.
Dryobates villosus,i. 451.
villosus audubonii, i. 452.
villosus leucomelas, i. 452.
Duck, Black, ii. 315.
Broad-bill, ii. 334.
Canvas-back, ii. 336.
Crow, ii. 197.
Dipper, ii. 334.
Dusky, ii. 315.
Florida, ii. 316.
Gray, ii. 307, 309.
Harlequin, ii. 352.
Labrador, ii. 302.
Lesser Scaup, ii. 345.
Long-tailed, ii. 355.
Masked, ii. 364.
Pied, ii. 302.
Ring-necked, ii, 346.
Ruddy, ii. 334.
Rufous-crested, ii. 364.
Scaup, ii. 343.
Sea, ii, 324.
Spine-tailed, ii. 334.
Spirit, ii. 347, 383.
Steller’s, ii. 364.
Summer, ii. 317.
Surf, ii. 331.
Velvet, ii. 334.
Wild, ii. 303.
Wood, ii. 317.
Dunilin, ii. 126, 128.
Eagle, Bald, i. 19.
Caracara, i. 6.
Golden, i. 15.
Gray Sea, i. 26.
Washington, i. 19.
White-tailed, i. 26.
Ectopistes migratorius, ii. 1.
Egret, ii. 84.
Blue, ii. 94.
Little White, ii. 86.
Peale’s, ii. 88.
Reddish, ii. 88.
Eider, ii. 324.
Common, ii. 324.
Greenland, ii. 329.
King, ii. 329.
Elanoides forficatus, i. 39.
Elanus leucurus,i. 38.
Empidonax acadicus, i. 425.
flaviventris, i. 426.
Empidonax minimus, i. 421
pusillus traillii, i. 424.
Eniconetta stelleri, ii. 364.
Ereunetes pusillus, ii, 143.
occidentalis, ii. 144.
Erismatura rubida, ii. 334.
Euetheia bicolor, i. 315.
canora, i. 315.
Falco columbarius, i. 11.
islandus, i. 7.
mexicanus, i. 9.
peregrinus anatum, i. 9.
regulus, i. 12.
rusticolus, i. 7.
rusticolus gyrfalco, i. 8.
rusticolus obsoletus, i, 8.
sparverioides, i. 14.
Sparverius, i. 13.
tinnunculus, i. 14.
Falcon, Peregrine, i. 9.
Prairie, i. 9
Finch, Grass, i. 320.
Lark, i. 317.
Lincoln’s, i. 328,
Pine, i. 351.
Purple, i. 372.
Seaside, i. 346-
Shore, i. 344.
Summer, i. 327.
Thistle, i. 348.
Fire-bird, i. 83.
Flamingo, ii. 104.
Flicker, i. 438.
Flycatcher, Acadian, i. 425.
Crested, i. 413.
Fork-tailed, i. 427.
Least, i. 421.
‘Olive-sided, i. 410.
Scissor-tailed, i. 427.
Small-headed, i. 168.
Traill’s, i. 424.
Yellow-billed, i. 426.
Fratercula arctica, ii. 406.
arctica glacialis, ii. 409.
Frigate Bird, ii. 373.
Fregata aquila, ii. 373.
Fulica americana, ii. 197
atra, ii. 201,
Fulmar, ii. 269.
Lesser, ii. 271.
Fulmaris glacialis, ii. 269.
INDEX. 421
Fulmaris glacialis minor, ii. 271.
Gadwall, ii. 307.
Galeoscoptes carolinensis, i. 195.
Gallinago delicata, ii. 172.
gallinago, ii. 176.
Gallinula galeata, ii. 203.
Gallinule, Common, ii. 203.
Florida, ii, 203.
Purple, ii. 201,
Gannet, ii. 375.
Gare Fowl, i. 414.
Gavia alba, ii. 244.
Gelochelidon nilotica, ii, 218.
Geothlypis agilis, i. 253.
Sormosa, i. 246.
Philadelphia, i. 251.
trichas, i. 247.
trichas occidentalis, i. 251.
trichas ignota, i. 251.
Geotrygon martinica, ii. g.
montana, ii. 10.
Glaucionetta clangula americana, ii,
349.
islandica, ii. 351.
Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray, i. 170,
Goatsucker, i. 470.
Godwit, Black-tailed, ii. 169.
Hudsonian, ii. 168.
Marbled, ii. 166.
Golden-eye, ii. 349.
Barrow’s, ii. 351.
Rocky Mountain, ii. 351.
Goldfinch, i. 353.
American, 348.
Black-headed, i. 350.
Goosander, ii. 358.
Goose, Barnacle, ii. 292.
Blue, ii. 283.
Brant, ii. 293.
Cackling, ii. 292.
Canada, ii. 285.
Greater Snow, ii. 281.
Hutchins’s, ii. 290.
Laughing, ii. 284.
Lesser Snow, ii. 283.
Solan, ii. 375.
Southern, ii. 290.
White-fronted, ii. 284.
Wild, ii. 285.
Goshawk, i. 31.
Grackle, Boat-tailed, i. 114,
422
Grackle, Bronze, i. 118.
Florida, i. 118.
Purple, i. 115.
Grassquit, i. 315.
Melodious, i. 315.
Green-shank, ii. 159.
Grebe, Carolina, ii. 386.
Dusky, ii. 383.
Holbeell’s, ii. 384.
Horned, ii. 383.
Little, ii. 386.
Pied-billed, ii, 386.
Red-necked, ii. 384.
Grosbeak, Blue, i. 371.
Evening, i. 367.
Pine, i. 375.
Rose-breasted, i. 369.
Grotophaga ani, i. 438.
Grouse, Canada, ii. 41.
Canadian Ruffed, ii. 34.
Pinnated, ii. 35.
Prairie Sharp-tailed, ii. 41.
Ruffed, ii. 30.
Sharp-tailed, ii. 39.
Spotted, ii. 41.
White, ii. 43.
Grus americana, ii. 73.
canadensis, ii. 76.
mexicana, li. 77.
Guara alba, ii. 112.
rubra, ii, 112.
Guillemot, Black, ii. 395.
Black- winged, ii. 397.
Common, ii. 398.
Foolish, ii. 398, 401.
Mandt’s, ii. 397.
Thick-billed, ii. gor.
Guiraca cerulea, i. 37%-
Gull, Black-headed, ii. 236.
Bonaparte’s, ii. 238.
Common, ii. 243.
Forked-tailed, ii. 234.
Franklin’s, ii. 238.
Glaucous, ii. 248.
Great Black-backed, ii. 252.
Herring, ii. 246, 247-
Iceland, ii. 250.
Ivory, ii. 244.
Kumlien’s, ii. 251.
Laughing, ii. 236.
Little, ii. 235.
Mackerel, ii. 213.
INDEX.
Gull, Parasitic, ii. 255.
Ring-billed, ii. 243.
Ross’s, ii. 239.
Sabine’s, ii. 234.
Siberian, ii, 251.
Summer, ii. 213.
Wedge- tailed, ii. 239.
White-winged, ii. 250.
Gyrfalcon, i. 7.
Habia ludoviciana, i. 369.
Hematopus ostralegus, ii. 56.
palliatus, ii. 54.
Hagdon, ii. 272.
Black, ii. 275.
White, 11. 269, 271.
Hairbird, i. 333.
Haliaetus albicilla, i, 26.
leucocephalus, i. 19.
Hang-nest, i. 83.
Harporhyncus rufus, i, 192.
Hawk, Black, i. 41.
Blue, i. 51.
Blue Hen, i. 31.
Broad-winged, i. 49.
Cooper’s, i. 34.
Cuban Sparrow, i. 14.
Duck, i. 9.
Fish, i. 27.
Florida Red-shouldered, i. 45.
Great-footed, i. 9.
Harlan’s, i. 48.
Harris’s, i. 46.
Marsh, i. 51.
Pigeon, i. 11.
Red-shouldered, ‘i. 43.
Red-tailed, i. 46.
Rough-legged, i. 41.
Sharp-shinned, i. 35.
Short-tailed, i. 50.
Snail, i. 40.
Sparrow, i. 13.
Swainson’s, i. 48.
Winter, i. 43.
Heath Hen, ii. 38.
Helinaia swainsonii, i, 256.
Hell-diver, ii. 383.
Helminthophila bachmant, i. 261.
celata, i. 264,
chrysoptera, i, 260.
cincinnatiensis, i. 265.
lawrencei, i. 265,
Helminthophila leucobronchialis,i.265.
peregrina, i. 261.
pinus, i, 258.
rujicapilla, i. 263.
Helmitherus vermivorus, i, 255.
Hen, Heath, ii. 38.
Hen, Prairie, i. 35.
Heron, Black-crowned Night, ii. 91.
Blue, ii. 81.
Florida, ii. 82.
Great Blue, ii. 78.
Great White, ii. 82.
Green, ii. 97.
Little Blue, ii. 94.
Louisiana, ii. 96.
Small White, ii. 86.
Snowy, ii. 86.
Ward’s, ii, 82.
Wurdeman’s, ii. 82.
Yellow-crowned Night, ii. 90.
Hesperocichla nevia, i, 202.
High-holder, i. 438.
Himantopus mexicanus, ii. 52.
Histrionicus histrionicus, ii, 352.
Humming-bird, i. 457..
Hydrochelidon leucoptera, ii, 231.
nigra surinamensis, ii, 230.
Ibis, Glossy, ii. 114.
Scarlet, ii, 112.
White, ii. 112.
Wood, ii. 110.
Icteria virens, i. 172.
Icterus bullocki, i. 93.
galbula, i. 83.
icteris, i. 82.
spurius, i. 93.
Ictina mississippiensis, i. 37.
lonornis martinica, ii, 201.
Jackdaw, i. 114.
Jaeger, Arctic, ii. 258.
Long-tailed, ii. 259.
Parasitic, ii. 258.
Pomarine, ii. 257.
Richardson’s, ii. 258.
Jay, Blue, i. 133.
Canada, i. 138.
Florida, i. 137.
Florida Blue, i. 136.
Labrador, i. 141.
Funco carolinensis, i. 341.
INDEX.
423
Funco hyemalis, i. 339.
hyemalis oregonus, i. 341.
Oregon, i. 341.
Slate-colored, i. 339.
Kestrel, i. 14.
Killdeer, ii. 62.
Kingbird, i. 4oq.
Arkansas, i. 409.
Gray, i. 414.
Kingfisher, i. 461.
Kinglet, Cuvier’s, 1. 282.
Golden-crowned, i. 283.
Ruby-crowned, i. 281.
Kite, Black, i. 40.
Black-shouldered, i. 38.
Blue, i. 37.
Everglade, i. 40.
Fork-tailed, i. 39.
Hook-billed, i. 40.
Mississippi, i. 37-
Swallow-tailed, i. 39.
White-tailed, i. 38.
Kittiwake, ii. 241.
Knot, ii. 140.
Krieker, ii. 130.
Lagopus lagopus, ii. 43.
lagopus alleni, ii. 47.
rupestris, ii. 47.
rupestris reinhardii, ii. 48.
welchi, ii. 48.
Lanius borealis, i. 159.
ludovicianus, i. 162.
ludovicianus excubitorides, i. 163.
Lapwing, ii. 70.
Lark, Field, i. 79.
Horned, i. 294.
Meadow, i. 79.
Mexican Meadow, i. 82.
Prairie Horned, i. 296.
Shore, i. 294.
Western Meadow, i. 82.
Larus affinis, ii. 251.
argentatus, ii. 247.
argentatus smithsonianus, ii. 246.
atricilla, ii. 236.
canus, ii, 243.
delawarensis, ii. 243.
Sranklinii, ii. 238.
glaucus, ii. 248.
kumiieni, ii. 251.
424
Larus leucopterus, ii, 250.
marinus, ii, 252.
minutus, ii, 135.
philadelphia, ii, 238.
Limosa fedoa, ii, 166.
hemastica, ii, 168,
limosa, ii. 169.
Limpkin, ii. 102,
Linnet, i. 372.
Brewster's, i. 359.
Pine, i. 351.
Redpoll, i. 355.
Log-cock, i. 444.
Longspur, Chestnut-collared, i, 305.
Lapland, i. 304.
Smith’s, i. 305.
Loon, ii. 388.
Black-throated, ii. 391.
Red-throated, ii. 393.
Lophodytes cucullatus, i. 363.
Lord-and-Lady, ii. 352.
Loxia curvirostra minor, i, 378.
leucoptera, i. 381.
Macrorhampus griseus, ii, 169.
scolopaceus, ii. 171.
Magpie, i. 132.
Mallard, ii. 303.
Dusky, ii. 315.
Man-of-War, ii. 258.
Man-of-War Bird, ii. 373.
Marsh Harrier, i. 51. -
Marsh Hen, ii. 197.
Marsh Hen, Freshwater, ii. 188,
Marlin, ii. 166.
Ring-tailed, ii, 168:
Martin, Bee, i. 404.
Purple, i. 391.
Sand, i. gor.
Maryland Yellow-throat, i. 249,
Meadow Hen, ii. 197.
Saltwater, ii, 183.
Meadow-wink, i. 109.
Megalestris skua, ii. 255.
Megascops asio, i. 57.
asio floridanus, i. 60.
Melanerpes carolinus, i. 448.
erythrocephalus, i. 447.
Meleagris gallopavo, ii. 15.
Melospiza fasciata, i. 322.
georgiana, i. 342.
fincolni, i. 328.
INDEX.
Merganser americanus, ii. 358.
serrator, ii. 360.
Merganser, ii. 358.
Hooded, ii. 363.
Red-breasted, ii. 360.
Merlin, i. 12.
Merula migratoria, i. 198.
Micropalama himantopus, ii. 145
Mitlvulus forficatus, i, 427.
tyrannus, i. 427.
Mimus polyglottus, i. 187.
Mniotilta varia, i. 389.
Mocking-bird, i. 187.
Molothrus ater, i. 104.
Moor Hen, ii. 197.
Moose-bird, i. 138.
Motacilla alba, i. 293.
Mother Carey’s Chicken, ii. 267.
Mud Hen, ii. 183, 197.
Red-billed, ii. 203,
Murre, ii. 398.
Briinnich’s, ii. gor.
Myiarchus crinitus, i. 413.
Netta rujfina, ii. 364.
Night Hawk, i. 470.
Florida, i. 473.
Noddy, ii. 232, 269, 271.
Nomonyx dominicus, ii. 364.
Nonpareil, i. 314.
Numenius borealis, ii. 122.
hudsonicus, ii, 120.
longirostris, ii. 118.
Nuthatch, Brown-headed, i. 386.
Red-breasted, i. 385.
White-breasted, i. 383.
Nyctala acadica, i.72.
tengmalmi richardsoni, i. 73.
Nyctea nyctea, i. 55.
Nycticorax nycticorax nevius, ii. gt.
violaceus, ii, go.
Oceanites oceanicus, ii. 264.
Oceanodroma leucorhoa, ii. 263.
Oidemia americana, ii. 333.
deglandi, ii. 334.
Fusca, ii. 334.
_ perspicillata, ii. 331.
Old-squaw, ii. 355.
Old-Tom-Peabody, i. 318.
Olor buccinator, ii. 299.
columbianus, ii. 296.
INDEX.
Olor ecygnus, ii. 299.
Oriole, Baltimore, i. 83,
Bullock’s, i. 93.
Orchard, i. 93.
Osprey, i. 27.
Otocoris alpestris, i, 294.
alpestris praticola, i, 296.
Oven-bird, i. 215.
Owl, Acadian, i. 72.
Barn, i. 75.
Barred, i. 70.
Burrowing, i. 78.
Cat, i. 6r.
Dusky Horned, i. 64.°
Florida Barred, i. 71,
Florida Screech, i. 60.
Great Gray, i. 64.
Great Horned, i. 61.
Hawk, i. 53.
Hoot, i. 70.
Long-eared, i. 66,
Mottled, i. 57.
Red, i. 57.
Richardson’s, i. 73.
Saw-whet, i. 72.
Screech, i. 57.
Short-eared, i. 68.
Snowy, i. 55.
Sparrow, i. 73.
Western Horned, i. 64.
Oyster-catcher, ii. 54.
European, ii. 56.
Pale-belly, ii. 57.
Pandion haliaétus carolinensis, i. 27.
Parabuteo unicinctus harrisi, i. 46.
Parakeet, i. 428.
Paroquet, Carolina, i. 428.
Parrot, Carolina, i. 428.
Sea, ii. 406.
Partridge, ii. 23, 30+
Birch, ii. 30.
Spruce, ii. 41.
Passer domesticus, i. 354
Passerella iliaca, i. 338.
Passerina ciris, i. 314.
cyanea, i. 310.
versicolor, i. 313.
Parus atricapillus, i. 146.
bicolor, i, 142.
carolinensis, i. 150.
hudsonicus, i. 151.
425
Patch-head, ii. 331.
Pavoncella pugnax, ii. 150.
Peabody-bird, i. 318.
Pediocetes phasianellus, ii. 39.
phasianellus campestris, ii. 41.
Peep, ii. 136.
Peet-weet, ii. 160.
Pelagodroma marina, ii. 268.
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, ii. 364.
Fuscus, ii, 368.
Pelican, Brown, ii. 368.
Frigate, ii. 373.
White, ii. 364.
Penguin, ii. 398, gor.
Great, ii. 414.
Perisoreus canadensis, i. 138.
canadensis nigricapillus, i. 141.
Petrel, Black-capped, ii. 268.
Bulwer’s, ii. 268.
Fork-tailed, ii. 263.
Leach’s, ii. 263.
Peale’s, ii. 268.
Stormy, ii. 267.
White-bellied, ii. 268.
White-taced, ii. 268.
Wilson’s, ii. 264.
Petrochelidon fulva, i. 403.
lunifrons, i. 396.
Peucea estivalis, i. 328.
estivalis bachmanii, i. 327.
Pewee, i. 415.
Wood, i. 419.
Pewit, i. 415.
Phaéthon athereus, ii. 381.
flavirostris, ii. 382.
Phatacrocorax carbo, ii. 369.
dilophus, ii. 372.
dilophus floridanus, ii. 373.
mexicanus, ii. 373-
Phalarope, Gray, ii. 205.
Northern, ii. 207.
Red, ii. 205.
Red-necked, ii. 207.
Wilson’s, ii. 211.
Phalaropus lobatus, ii. 207.
tricclor, ii 211.
Phasianus colchicus, ii. 22.
Pheasant, ii. 30.
English, ii. 22.
Philohela minor, ii. 176.
Pheebe, i. 415.
Say’s, i. 418.
426 INDEX.
Phenicopterus ruber, ii, 104.
Pica pica hudsonica, i. 132.
Picoides americanus, i. 456.
arcticus, i. 455.
Pigeon, Partridge, ii. 9.
Passenger, ii. 1.
White-crowned, ii. 7.
Wild, ii. 1.
Pinicola enucleator, i. 375.
Pintail, ii. 309.
Pipilo erythrophthalmus, ii 359.
erythrophthalmus alleni, i. 361.
Pipit, i. 292.
Meadow, i. 293.
Piranga erythromelas, i. 306.
ludoviciana, i. 310.
rubra, i. 309.
Plautus impennis, ii. 414.
Plectrophenax nivalis, i. 300.
Plegadis autumnalis, ii. 114.
Plover, Belted-piping, ii. 60.
Black-bellied, ii. 68.
Chicken, ii. 71.
Common, ii. 57.
European Golden, ii. 58.
Field, ii. 164.
Golden, ii. 57.
Green, ii. 57.
Mountain, ii. 67.
Piping, ii. 59.
Red-legged, ii. 71.
Ringed, ii. 66.
Ruddy, ii. 49.
Semi-palmated, ii. 64.
Swiss, ii. 68.
Upland, ii. 164.
Whistling, ii. 57.
Wilson's, ii. 61.
Pochard, ii. 340.
Podilymbus podiceps, ii. 386.
Polioptila caerulea, i. 170.
Polyborus cheriway, i. 6.
Poocetes gramineus, i. 320.
Porzana carolina, ii. 189.
Jamaicensi., ii, 196.
noveboracensis, ik. 194
porzana, ii 196.
Prairie Chicken, ii. 35, 39, 41.
Procellaria pelagica, ii. 267.
Progne subis, i. 39%.
Protonotaria citrea, i. 257.
Ptarmigan, Allen’s, 1). 47.
Ptarmigan, Reinhardt’s, ii. 48.
Rock, ii. 47.
Welch’s, ii. 48.
Willow, ii. 43.
Puffin, ii. 406.
Large-billed, ii. 409.
Pufinus auduboni, ii. 275.
borealis, ii. 274.
kuhlii, ii. 273, 274.
major, ii. 272.
Puffinus puffinus, ii. 276.
stricklandi, ii, 275.
Qua Bird, ii. 91.
Quail, 11. 23.
Messina, ii. 30.
Quail-dove, Blue-headed, ii. 14.
Ruddy, ii. 10.
Quiscalus major, i. 114.
guiscula, i. 115.
quiscula eneus, i. 118.
guiscula agleus,i. 118.
Rail, Big, ii. 183.
Black, ii. 196.
Carolina, ii. 189.
Clapper, ii. 183.
Common, ii. 189.
Florida Clapper, ii. 187.
King, ii, 188.
Land, ii. 196.
Lesser Clapper, ii. 180.
Louisiana Clapper, ii. 187.
Red-breasted, ii. 180, 188.
Scott’s, ii. 187.
Virginia, ii. 180.
Yellow, ii. 194.
Rallus elegans, ii. 188.
longirostris crepitans, ii, 183.
longirostris saturatus, ti. 187.
longirostris scottii, ii, 187.
virginianus, ii, 180.
Raven, i. 120.
Razor-bill, ii. 260.
Recurvirosta americana, ii. 106.
Redbird, i. 362.
Redhead, ii. 340.
Redpoll, i. 355.
Greater, i. 357.
Greenland, i. 359.
Hoary, i. 358.
Holbeell’s, i. 357.
Redpoll, Lesser, i. 355.
Mealy, i. 358.
Redstart, i. 164.
Regulus calendula, i, 281.
cuviert, i. 282.
satrapa, i, 283.
RRhodostethia rosea, ii. 239.
Rice-bird, i. 109.
Rissa tridactyla, ii. 241.
Robin, i. 198.
Golden, i. 83.
Ground, i. 359.
Swamp, i. 205.
Rostrhanius sociabilis, i, 40.
Ruff, ii, 150.
Rynchops nigra, ii. 260.
Saddleback, ii. 252.
Sanderling, ii. 49.
Sandpiper, Baird’s, ii. 142.
Bartramian, ii. 164.
Black-bellied, ii. 126.
Bonaparte’s, ii. 129.
Buff-breasted, ii. 132.
Curlew, ii. 125.
Green, ii. 157.
Least, ii. 136.
Pectoral, ii. 130.
Purple, ii. 134.
Red-backed, ii. 126.
Semi-palmated, ii. 143.
Solitary, ii. 157.
Spotted, ii. 160.
Stilt, ii, 145.
Western, ii. 144.
White-rumped, ii. 129.
Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied, i. 450.
Saw-bill, ii. 3538.
Saxicola enanthe, i. 290.
Sayornis phebe, i. 415.
saya, i. 418,
Scolecophagus carolinus, i, 119.
Scolopax rusticola, ii. 179.
Scoter, American, ii. 333.
Black, ii. 333.
Surf, ii. 331.
Velvet, ii. 334.
White-winged, ii. 334.
Cca-goose, ii. 205, 207, 211.
Seamew, ii. 243.
Sea-pigeon, ii. 395.
Sea-swallow, ii. 213.
INDEX.
Ft
427
Seiurus aurocapillus, i, 215.
motacilla, i. 214.
noveboracensis, i, 212.
Setophaga ruticilla,i. 164.
Shad-bird, ii. 172.
Shag, ii. 369, 372.
Shearwater, Audubon’s, ii. 275.
Cory’s, ii. 274.
Greater, ii. 272.
Manx, ii. 276.
Sooty, ii. 275.
Shelldrake, ii. 360.
Buff-breasted, ii. 358.
Hooded, ii. 363.
Shoveller, ii. 300.
Shrike, Loggerhead, i, 162.
Northern, i. 159.
White-rumped, i. 163.
Sialia sialis, i, 285.
Sickle-bill, ii. 118.
Siskin, Pine, i. 351.
Sitta canadensis, i. 385.
carolinensis, i. 383.
pusilla, 1. 386.
Skimmer, Black, ii. 260.
Skua, ii. 255.
Buffon’s, ii. 259.
Skunk-head. ii. 331.
Skylark, i. 297.
Snipe, Common, ii. 172.
English, ii. 172.
European, ii. 176.
Grass, ii. 130.
Gray, ii. 169.
Jack, ii. 130, 172.
Red-breasted, ii. 140, 169.
Robin, ii. 140, 169.
Rock, ii. 134.
Stone, ii, 152.
Wilson’s, ii. 172.
Winter, ii. 126, 134.
Snow-bird, i. 339.
White, i. 300.
Snowflake, i. 300.
Somateria dresseri, ti. 324.
mollissima borealis, ii. 329.
spectabilis, ii, 329.
Sora, ii. 189.
Sou-southerly, ii. 355.
Sparrow, Acadian Sharp-tailed, i. 345.
Bachman’s, i. 327.
Brewer’s, i. 335.
428
Sparrow, Chipping, i. 333.
Clay-colored, i. 337.
Dusky Seaside, i. 347.
English, i. 354.
Field, i. 336.
Fox, i. 338.
Ground, i. 325.
Grasshopper, i. 329.
Henslow’s, i. 330.
House, i. 354.
Ipswich, i. 326.
Lark, i. 317.
Le Conte’s, i. 331.
Lincoln’s, i. 328.
Nelson’s, i. 346,
Pine Woods, i. 328,
Savanna, i. 325.
Scott's Seaside, i. 347.
Seaside, i. 346.
Sharp-tailed, i. 344.
Song, i. 322.
Swamp, i. 342.
Tree, i. 332.
Vesper, i. 320.
White-crowned, i. 315.
White-throated, i. 318.
Yellow-winged, i. 329.
INDEX.
Stercorarius pomarinus, ti, 257.
Sterna anethetus, ii. 228.
antillarum, ii. 225.
dougalli, ii, 223.
Sorsteri, ii, 216.
Suliginosa, ii. 228.
hirundo, ii. 213.
maxima, ii. 217.
paradisea, ii, 220.
sandvicensis acuflavida, ii, 222.
trudeaui, ii, 228.
tschegrava, ii. 227.
Stilt, Black-necked, ii. 52.
Stork, Wood, ii. 110.
Striker, Gannet, ii. 217, 227,
Little, ii. 225.
Strix pratincola, i. 75.
Sturnella magna, i. 79.
magna mexicana, i. 82.
magna neglecta, i. 82.
Sturnus vulgaris, i, 82.
Sula bassana, ii. 375.
cyanops, ii. 380.
sula, ii. 379.
piscator, ii, 380.
Summer Red-bird, i. 309.
Yellow-bird, i. 220.
Spatula clypeata, ii. 300. Surnia ulula caparoch, i. 53
Speotyto cunicularia floridana, i, | Swallow, Bahama, i. 403.
78. Bank, i. q4o1.
cunicularia hypogea, i. 78. Barn, i. 394.
Sphyrapicus varius, i. 450. Chimney, i. 463.
Spinus notatus, i. 350. Cliff, i. 396.
pinus, i. 351. Cuban Cliff, i. 403.
tristis, i. 348. Eave, i. 396.
Spiza americana, i. 298. Rough-winged, i, 403.
townsendi, i, 299. Singing, i. 399.
Spizella breweri, i. 335- Tree, i. 399.
monticola, i. 332. White-bellied, i. 399.
pallida, i. 337. Swan, Trumpeter, ii. 299.
pusilla, i. 336. Whistling, ii. 296.
Socialis, i. 333. Whooping, ii. 299.
Spoonbill, ii. 300. Swift, Chimney, i. 463.
Roseate, ii. 108. Sylvania canadensis, i, 227.
Sprigtail, i. 309. microcephala, i. 265.
Squawk, ii. gr. mitrata, i. 167.
Stake Driver, ii. 99. pusila, i. 168.
Starling, i. 82. Sylvia minuta, i. 168.
Starnenas cyanocephala, ii. 14. Symph semipalmata, ii. 146.
Stelgidopteryx serripennis, i. 403. semipalmata .nornata, ii. 149.
Stercorarius longicaudus, ii. 259. Syrnium nebulosum, i. 70.
parasiticus, ii, 258. nebulosum alleni, i. 7%.
Tachycineta bicolor, i. 399.
Tanager, Louisiana, i. 310.
Scarlet, i. 306.
Summer, i. 309.
Tantalus loculator, ii. 110.
Tattler, ii. 152.
Teal, Blue-winged, ii. 319.
Cinnamon, ii. 323.
European, ii. 323.
Green-winged, ii. 321.
Teeter-tail, ii. 160.
Tell-tale, ii. 152.
Tern, Arctic, ii. 220.
Black, ii. 230.
Bridled, ii. 228.
Cabot’s, ii. 222.
Caspian, ii. 227.
Cayenne, ii. 217.
Common, ii. 213.
Forster’s, ii. 216.
Gull-billed, ii, 218.
Least, ii. 225.
Marsh, ii. 218.
Roseate, ii. 223.
Royal, ii. 217,
Sandwich, ii, 222.
Short-tailed, ii. 230.
Silvery, ii. 225.
Sooty, ii, 228.
Trudea’s, ii, 228.
White-winged Black, ii. 231.
Wilson’s, ii. 313.
Thalassogeron culminatus, i. 277.
Thistle-bird, i. 348.
Thrasher, Brown, i. 192.
Thrush, Alice's, i. 211.
Bicknell’s, i. 212.
Brown, i. 192.
Golden-crowned, i. 215.
Gray-cheeked, i. 211.
Hermit, i. 205.
Louisiana Water, i. 214.
Olive-backed, i. 214.
Red-winged, i. 202.
Tawny, i. 207.
Varied, i. 202.
Water, i. 212.
Wilson’s, i. 207.
Wood, i. 202.
Thryothorus bewickii, i. 276.
ludovicianus, i. 272, 275.
Tinker, ii. 410.
INDEX.
Tip-up, ii. 160.
Titlark, i. 292.
Titmouse, Tufted, i. 142.
Totanus flavipes, ii. 154.
melanoleucus, ii. 152,
nebularius, ii, 159.
ochropus, ii. 159.
solitarius, ii. 157.
Towhee, i. 359.
White-eyed, i. 361.
Tringa alpina, ii, 128.
alpina pacifica, ii, 126,
bairdii, ii. 142.
canutus, ii. 140.
Serruginea, ii. 125.
Suscicollis, ii. 129.
Tringa maritima, ii. 134.
maculata, ii. 130.
minutilla, ii, 136.
Trochilus colubris, i. 457.
Troglodytes aédon, i. 266.
aédon parkmanizt, i, 270.
americanus, i, 270.
hiemalis, i. 270.
Tropic-bird, Red-billed, ii. 381.
Yellow-billed, ii. 382.
Troupial, i. 82.
Tryngitis subruficoljis, ii. 132.
Turdus alicie, i. 211.
alicia bicknelli, i. 212.
aonalaschke pallasii, i. 205.
Ffuscescens, i. 207.
iliacis, 1, 202.
mustelinus, i, 202.
ustulatus swainsonii, i. 211,
Turkey, Wild, ii. 15.
Turnstone, ii. 71.
Tympanuchus americanus, ii. 35.
cupida, ii. 38.
Tyrannus dominicensis, i. 414.
tyrannus,i. 404.
verticalis, i. 409.
Ulula cinerea, i. 64.
Uria lomvia, ii. 401.
troile, ii. 398.
Urinator arcticus, ii. 391.
imber, ii. 388.
lumme, ii. 393-
Vanellus vanellus, ii. 70,
Veery, i. 207,
429
430
Vireo bellii, i. 180.
flavifrons,i. 174.
flavoviridis, i, 186.
gilvus, i, 180.
noveboracensis, i. 178.
noveboracensis maynardi, i. 180.
olivaceus, i. 182,
philadelphicus, i. 186.
solitarius, i. 176.
solitarius alticola, i. 177.
Vireo, Bell’s, i. 180.
Blue-headed, i. 176.
Key West, i. 180.
Mountain Solitary, i, 177.
Philadelphia, i. 186,
Red-eyed, i. 182.
Solitary, i. 176.
Warbling, i. 180.
White-eyed, i. 178.
Yellow-green, i. 186.
Yellow-throated, i. 174.
Vulture, Black, i. 4.
Turkey, i. 1.
Wagtail, White, i. 293.
Warbler, Andubon’s, i. 220.
Bachman’s, i. 261.
Bay-breasted, i. 237.
Black and White, i. 389.
Black and Yellow, i. 224.
Blackburnian, i. 232.
Black-poll, i. 238.
Black-throated Blue, i. 245.
Black-throated Green, i. 230.
Blue, i. 247.
Blue Mountain, i. 265.
Blue-winged, i. 258.
Blue Yellow-backed, i. 244.
Brewster's, i. 265.
Canadian, i. 227.
Cape May, i. 226.
Carbonated, i. 265.
Cerulean, i. 247.
Chestnut-sided, i. 235.
Cincinnati, i. 265.
Connecticut, 1. 253.
Golden-winged, i. 260.
Gray-headed, i. 253.
Hemlock, i. 233.
Hooded, i. 167.
Kentucky, i. 246.
Kirtland’s, i. 265.
INDEX.
Warbler, Lawrence’s, i. 265.
Magnolia, i. 224.
Mourning, i. 251.
Myrtle, i. 217.
Nashville, i. 263.
Orange-crowned, i. 264.
Palm, i. 220.
Parula, i. 244.
Pine, i. 239.
Prairie, i. 242.
Prothonotary, i. 257,
Small-headed, i. 265.
Summer, i. 220,
Swainson's, i. 256.
Sycamore, i. 229
Tennessee, i. 261.
Townsend's, i, 265.
Wilson's, i. 168.
Worm-eating, i. 255.
Yellow, i, 220.
Yellow-crowned, i. 217.
Yellow-palm, i. 219.
Yellow Red-poll, i. 219.
Yellow-rumped, i. 217.
Yellow-throated, i. 228.
Water Hen, ii. 203.
Water Wagtail, i. 212,
Wavey, ii. 281.
Blue, ii. 283.
Waxwing, Bohemian, i. 152.
Cedar, i. 154.
Whale-bird, ii. 205.
Wheatear, i. 290.
Whip-poor-will, i. 467.
Whiskey Jack, i. 138.
Whistler, ii. 349, 351.
Widgeon, ii. 311-313.
Willet, ii. 146.
Western, ii. 149.
Wilsonia minuta, i. 168.
Wilson’s Blackcap, i. 168.
Woodcock, ii. 176.
Black, i. 444.
European, ii. 179.
Woodpecker, American three-toed, i,
456.
Arctic three-toed, i. 455.
Banded-backed, i. 456.
Black-backed, i. 455.
Downy, i. 452.
Golden-winged, i. 438.
Hairy, i. 451.
Woodpecker, Ivory-billed, i. 441.
Pigeon, i. 438.
Pileated, i. 444.
Red-bellied, i. 448.
Red-cockaded, i. 454.
Red-headed, i. 446.
Wren, Bewick's, i. 276.
Carolina, i. 272.
Florida, i. 275.
House, i. 266.
Long-billed Marsh, i. 279.
Long-tailed House, i. 276.
Marian’s Marsh, i. 280.
Mocking, i. 272.
Parkman’s, i. 270.
Short-billed Marsh, i. 277.
Winter, i. 270.
Wood, i. 266, 270.
INDEX. 431
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus, i, 102,
Xema sabinit, ii. 234.
Yellow-bird, i. 348.
Yellow-legs, ii. 154.
Greater, ii. 152.
Lesser, ii. 154.
Summer, ii. 154.
Winter, ii. 152.
Yellow-throat, Florida, i. 251.
Maryland, i. 249.
Western, i. 251.
Zenaida zenaida, ii. 10.
Zenaidura macroura, hi. 11.
Zonotrichia leucophrys, i. 315.
albicollis, i. 318.
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